


Reach Out To The Truth

by bigmenwinthese



Series: Big D's MCYT AUs [2]
Category: Persona 4, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alexis | Quackity Is Mexican Dream, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Attempted Murder, Awesome Clay | Dream's Sister Drista (Video Blogging RPF), BAMF Drista, BAMF Jack Manifold, BAMF Lani, BAMF Purpled, BAMF Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), BAMF Toby Smith | Tubbo, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), BAMFs, Character Death, Comedy, Coming Out, Crack Treated Seriously, Deadly Shadows, Death, Domestic Fluff, Drista and Dream are NOT siblings in this, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Grayson | Purpled Needs a Hug, How Do I Tag, I'll add more character tags as they get introduced, Investigations, Kid FoolishG, Kidnapping, Light Angst, Magic Revealed, Magical Realism, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery Stories, Mystery Villain, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Cara | CaptainPuffy, Persona 4 Spoilers, Police, Protective Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), TV News, Talking Animals, The Velvet Room (Persona Series), for the sake of plot, in a way theyre facing their true selves?, maybe? - Freeform, neither are Tubbo and Lani, srsly why isn't foolish a tag yet, theyre all badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:13:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29777349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigmenwinthese/pseuds/bigmenwinthese
Summary: “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It is a room that only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future.” The older man explained, and the answers he was giving Ranboo couldn’t help but confuse the teen. Does that mean that this is all in his head? Seems hard to believe.“Now then, why don’t you introduce yourself?”He hesitated for a moment. “Ranboo. Ranboo Watson.”“Hm, I see.” Igor pondered. “Now, let’s take a look into your future, shall we?”...Ranboo is a high school student transferring to a different city for a whole school year. He didn't expect much, but with the turning point of events, he and his friends are forced to solve the mysterious disappearances and murders of different people, as well as wondering what his purpose really is.Or, a Persona 4 AU that I have lingering in my drafts for a while now when I used to be obsessed with this fandom.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Ranboo, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Clay | Dream's Sister Drista, Cara | CaptainPuffy & FoolishG, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Ranboo, Clay | Dream's Sister Drista & Alexis | Quackity, Clay | Dream's Sister Drista & Grayson | Purpled (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream's Sister Drista & Hannah | Hannahxxrose (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream's Sister Drista & Lani Smith | LanuSky, Clay | Dream's Sister Drista & Ranboo, Grayson | Purpled & Alexis | Quackity, Grayson | Purpled & Lani Smith | LanuSky, Grayson | Purpled & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Hannah | Hannahxxrose & Grayson | Purpled, Lani Smith | Lanusky & Cara | CaptainPuffy, Mexican Dream/Mamacita, No Romantic Relationship(s), Ranboo & FoolishG, Ranboo & Hannah | Hannahxxrose (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Lani Smith | LanuSky
Series: Big D's MCYT AUs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054640
Comments: 34
Kudos: 55





	1. Welcome To Inaba

**Author's Note:**

> This might get updated almost frequently unless homework decides to get in the way. Please be reminded I'm only using their characters and I do not mean to harm any CCs in an way, shape or form! If they're uncomfy then this will be taken down immediately.
> 
> If you want early updates or just chat with people in general, feel free to join my discord server! [The Angst Pit.](https://discord.gg/5mNjnZZT2u)

…

  
  


……

  
  


……….

  
  


Ranboo slowly opened his eyes to the sound of the car engine rumbling, indicating that the vehicle had started moving. He was sitting on a blue velvet couch, and on the other end of the table sat a man with the widest eyes and the longest nose he had ever seen. 

A woman with platinum blonde hair and bright golden eyes was sitting next to him, and she is elegantly dressed entirely in dark blue with matching high heel shoes and black and golden accessories.

His breath hitched, not knowing who these strangers were and or what they’re doing in this limousine that is also coated in dark blue color. The vehicle seems to be driving through the endless fog, which is strange, since he had no idea of their destination. 

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” 

The bizarre-looking man finally spoke, his smile spreading from ear to ear. Ranboo stayed unnaturally silent, but the man paid no attention to his nervousness. “Ah...it seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny.” He stated, letting out a light chuckle. 

“My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” Igor introduced himself, the same smile still plastered on his face. 

“Nice to meet you too, I guess.” Ranboo finally replied, as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Uhm- Where exactly are we..?”

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It is a room that only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future.” The older man explained, and the answers he was giving Ranboo couldn’t help but confuse the teen. Does that mean that this is all in his head? Seems hard to believe. 

“Now then, why don’t you introduce yourself?” 

He hesitated for a moment. “Ranboo. Ranboo Watson.” 

“Hm, I see.” Igor pondered. “Now, let’s take a look into your future, shall we?”

Ranboo was about to ask what he meant, when Igor suddenly hovered his hand over the small table in front of him, and a deck of cards magically appeared. “Do you believe in fortune telling?” He asked, arranging the cards on the table, separating them in different groups. 

“It’s- it’s interesting, I guess?”

“Indeed. Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different.” Igor chuckled, resting his chin on the back of his hand once more. “Life itself follows the same principles, doesn’t it?”

One of the cards flipped over before Ranboo could say anything, and he could see the contents of the card. It was The Tower, the 16th card in the major Arcana. “The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is...” 

Igor paused, as he flipped another card over. This time, it was the 18th card, or otherwise known as the Moon. “The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents ‘hesitation’ and ‘mystery’. Very interesting indeed.” 

“What does that mean?” Ranboo asked, his brows knitted in confusion as he looked back at Igor. He was still confused by this whole ordeal, whether it's a dream or not.

“It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.” Igor calmly explained, before continuing. “In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is the turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may forever be lost.”

Ranboo swallowed the lump in his throat. “Okay then… Why are you telling me this?”

“My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to make sure that does not happen.” Igor replied, the cards shortly disappeared with a swipe of his hand. “Ah, I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you.”

In all honesty, Ranboo almost forgot about the woman in the elegant clothing sitting next to Igor. She was so quiet, he didn’t even realize she was still there. “This is Margaret. She is a resident in this place, like myself.”

“My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey.” Margaret stated nonchalantly. She seems like a stoic woman, but then again, you shouldn't judge a book by it’s cover.

Ranboo gave her a small smile. “It’s nice to meet you too, Margaret.”

‘Well then, we shall attend to details another time.” Igor exclaimed, looking back at Ranboo with those widened out eyes. There was something about this place just makes him feel something that he can’t put his finger on. Maybe he’ll find out another time.

“Until then, farewell…”

…

A commercial featuring a boy with bright blonde hair and baby blue eyes talking about a fitness drink played on the TV screens before it shortly switched back to the news. The three news reporters were sitting together around a large wooden table, as the middle man spoke up. “And now onto some juicy news. The Politic Scandal where reports have said...”

“...do chicks really dig politicians?” 

“...when it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is...”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think...”

Ranboo didn’t pay any attention to the crowd murmuring or talking about whatever. The news didn’t interest him at all that much, as he continued scrolling through his phone on social media for anything new while waiting for the train to arrive. 

The train arrived shortly and he clutched his backpack tighter as he hopped on. Ranboo had to stand still and try to maintain his balance due to the overwhelming crowd, as it has always been packed with people during this time of the day.

_ “Well, I’m sure you all know already, but at the end of this month, he will be transferring to another school.” _

_ Numerous murmurs and whispers of something he couldn’t quite understand from his classmates could be heard from the classroom, as Ranboo stood in front of the whole class with their homeroom teacher standing next to him. He tried not to make eye contact, not wanting to meet their gaze.  _

_ “Quiet down. I’m not done yet.” The teacher exclaimed, immediately making the whole class go still and quiet. It’ll just be a temporary thing anyways. He’ll be back after a while. _

…

_ 04 / 11 _ **MONDAY**

**Afternoon**

The train started getting closer to his destination, finally moving out of the city and entering a town where he would be transferred to a school there. Ranboo pulled out his phone to check his messages, until he read over a message coming from a man who would be his legal guardian during this time. 

_ Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4 PM.  _ It read, and the sender of the message was named Captain Puffy, otherwise known as his aunt and his mother’s younger sister and the one who offered Ranboo a place to stay. The speakers then announced that the train would be arriving shortly to the second to the last stop, and so he placed his phone back in his pocket and grabbed his backpack. 

The train then stopped at the station, and Ranboo got off along with other passengers who are also going the same way as he is. The news on the TV was still the same, something about a scandal consisting of an affair with two important people. It's honestly surprising, but expected. 

Hopping another train, Ranboo stared out of the window absent-mindedly. His mind wanders off, recalling memories from a few days before, until he suddenly remembered the strange dream with Igor and Margaret. 

He was startled for a moment, until he brushed it off as his hyperactive imagination is most likely playing tricks on him. The train then stopped his destination, and Ranboo immediately hopped off. Starting tomorrow, it’ll be a fresh start for him, and needless to say, he’s a bit nervous of what might happen. 

He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air, before exhaling to get rid of the tension on his shoulders. Ranboo looked around, wondering where the people that he was supposed to meet. They haven’t forgotten about him, have they? He hopes not. He didn’t come all the way here for nothing, after all.

“Hey! Over here!” A woman suddenly called out to him. Ranboo was startled by the unfamiliar voice, but he then relaxed when he saw a woman with white hair and blue eyes walking towards him. The woman was most likely around 30 or something judging from her voice, but she seems young. 

Ranboo slowly walked towards her, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. “Uh- hello. I’m Ranboo. But I guess you already know that…” He awkwardly smiled, pulling out his hand to form a handshake as a greeting. 

The woman chuckled, returning the handshake with a firm grip. “It’s finally nice to meet you, Ranboo. Aren’t you a handsome little fellow?” She jokingly stated, making Ranboo slightly blush with embarrassment. 

“T- thanks. It’s not much, really.”

“Welcome to Inaba! I’m Captain Puffy, but you can just call me Papa Puffy for short. I’m the one who’s gonna be looking after you.” Puffy looked up to him, giving him a bright smile. Only then did Ranboo realize he was much taller than she is. “Oh my, you really have grown ever since the last time I saw you. I remember when you were still in diapers.”

Puffy then suddenly stepped aside, revealing a young boy with brown hair and green eyes wearing a shark hoodie. “This here is my son. Go ahead, Foolish! Introduce yourself to your cousin.” She exclaimed, ushering the boy to say something to the older teen. 

“Hey there.” Ranboo gave him a small wave, hoping he wouldn't scare the boy with his insane height. 

“Hello! I’m Foolish! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Foolish brightly smiled at him, and he definitely had the same energy as his mother. Like mother, like son. Both of their personalities are a contrast stretch against his, which makes Ranboo feel even more socially awkward. 

Puffy let out a light-hearted chuckle. “Well then, we should get going! You must be tired from the trip.” She exclaimed, before ushering the two of them to follow along to get to the car. Foolish followed behind, like a baby duckling following their mother. It was adorable, he has to admit. 

Ranboo was about to start following them, when he suddenly heard a subte ‘hey’ coming from behind him. He turned around to see a man with emerald green eyes to match his green hoodie, and dirty blonde hair with freckles dotted all over his cheeks. “You dropped this.” He said, handing the piece of paper back to the other.

“Oh! Thank you.” It took Ranboo awhile to realize it was the piece of paper with a note that he wrote himself along with Puffy’s address.

“It’s nothing. All I did was pick it up.” The man shrugged, placing his hands back in the pockets of his hoodie. He then shortly left, walking off somewhere else as Ranboo put the note inside his bag to make sure it doesn’t drop again. He then heard Puffy calling out his name, so he quickly rushed to where the car was parked and hopped in, as they headed back home. 

…

They decided to stop by the gas station first before heading straight to Puffy’s house, which was next to a small shopping district. “Hello! Welcome to Moel!” The attendant who worked there greeted them with a smile, and Ranboo couldn’t help but notice how lovely this town is, especially with the people. Even if there’s something a bit off around here.

“Can you go to the bathroom by yourself?” Puffy asked, looking over to Foolish as she stopped the engine, turning the car off completely and unlocking the doors. 

“Mhm! I’ll be quick.” Foolish exclaimed, immediately hopping off the vehicle to go to the restroom whilst Puffy and Ranboo both stepped out of the car as well to get some fresh air. 

The attendant showed Foolish the way to the restroom to make it quicker, before turning back to the other two. “Are you taking a trip?” They asked, glancing between the two.

“Oh, no. We just went to pick him up. He moved here from the big city.” Puffy replied, referring to Ranboo. The attendant seemed a bit intrigued.

“The city huh?”

“Yep! Oh and- can you fill up my car? Regular’s fine.”

“Right away ma’am!”

Puffy then turned her head to Ranboo. “Well, I’m gonna go buy some snacks real quick from the store nearby. Would you be okay on your own?” 

Ranboo nodded, assuring the other. “Yep. I’ll be okay.”

“Alright then, I’ll be right back!”

He watched as the older woman left to cross the street to go to the nearby store where she would supposedly buy some snacks. Ranboo doesn’t know what they’re for, so he just assumed they also needed some food for dinner. 

“Are you in high school?” The attendant suddenly asked, looking over to the teen with curiosity. 

“Yeah…I am.”

“Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here?” Hm, the town here seems to be smaller than what he’s usually used to, Ranboo thought, more likely to himself. “There’s so little to do out here, I’m sure you’ll get bored fast. You’ll either be hangin out with your friends or doing part-time jobs.”

“I see… That’s unfortunate.”

“Yeah. Speaking of which, we’re actually looking for part-time help right now. Give it some thought, won’t you? We don’t mind if you’re a student.” The attendant suddenly held out their hand, as if inviting him for a handshake.

Ranboo gave a small smile, before shaking their hand in response. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to think about it.”

The attendant smiled back, before releasing his hand. “I should get back to work now. I’ll see you around.” They said, before walking off to do their job. Ranboo was left alone once more with his thoughts. This was definitely something he’ll have to think about if he wants to keep himself entertained. 

All of the sudden, he felt a pounding headache that disrupted his peace time. So much for staying awake during the whole ride here. Foolish had arrived at the scene, looking a bit worried when he saw the state Ranboo was in. “Are you okay? Did you get carsick? You don’t look so good.”

“I’m- I’m fine… Just a little dizzy.” Ranboo reassured the younger boy, trying to brush off the dizziness. Maybe he was just exhausted from his trip. Yeah, that must be the problem. 

Puffy then came along, holding one large plastic bag in her hand. Her face immediately changed to concern once she saw Ranboo. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“I’m just tired, probably.” 

“That’s understandable. You must be exhausted after coming all the way here.” She pondered. “Well then, we should get you home so you can rest.” 

Ranboo and Foolish mutually agreed, hopping back in the car as Puffy started up the engine once more before driving off. During the ride home, his dizziness eased up a little, but he was still tired. Which is understandable, considering he woke up so early in the morning, and he hasn't had enough sleep during that. 

He just hoped that things would eventually get better from here.

…

_ 04 / 11 _ **MONDAY**

**Evening**

The house wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either. Just the perfect size enough for three people to live in. The three of them sat around the table to eat some dinner before going off to bed, and they were most likely starving. At least, Ranboo was, since the food also looked delicious. 

“Alright, let’s have a toast!” Puffy exclaimed, holding up her drink. Ranboo and Foolish did the same, and then the three of them all took a sip from their respective drinks. It was refreshing, better than the water he brought with him. 

“So...your mom and dad are busy as always. They’re working overseas, was it?” The older woman asked, her tone of voice getting softer as she looked over to Ranboo for confirmation. “I know it's only for a year but getting stuck in a place like this, it must’ve been hard for you.”

“It’s not a big deal. Well, I guess it gets lonely at times, but I’m used to it.” Ranboo shrugged, but his response only seemed to feed his aunt’s concern and worry for him, which is the opposite of what he wanted since he didn’t want anyone to worry about him. 

“Well, it’s only just me and Foolish here, so it’ll be nice to have someone like you around. So as long as you’re here, you’re part of the family! So make yourself at home.” Puffy smiled, her words making him feel safe and warm, as if he was back home. 

Ranboo couldn’t help but smile as well. “Thank you for your kindness. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem! I’m sure Foolish wouldn’t mind having a playmate.” The boy in question let out a giggle, smiling as he looked at the older teen. “Well then, let’s dig in!”

Just as they were about to eat, Puffy’s phone suddenly started ringing, making them pause at what they’re doing. “I wonder who would be calling me at this hour.” She said, more likely to herself as she picked up the phone and stood up from her seat to get a bit more privacy. 

“Hello? Captain speaking.”

“......”

“Yeah? I see… So where is it?”

“.....”

“Alright. I’m on my way.”

Puffy ended the call and she let out a sigh, turning back towards them. “Sorry, but I have some business to attend to. You’ll have to eat without me.” She explained, and Ranboo didn’t miss the frown on Foolish’s face when she mentioned that. Right, Puffy must have work to do. 

“I don’t know how late I’ll be. Foolish, you help Ranboo get settled, okay?” 

“Okay.” Ranboo couldn’t help but feel bad for Foolish, as he seemed a bit sad about his mother leaving, as if this happens quite often. Which is expected, since who knows what could be in this town? He watched Puffy leave the dinner table and went towards the door, getting ready to leave.

“Foolish, it's raining! What did you do with the laundry?”

“I already brought it in!”

“Alright then, I’m off now!”

Puffy shortly left, the front door opening and slamming shut was proof of it. The rest of their dinner was silent after that, until Foolish grabbed the remote and opened up the TV. The screen showed the weather forecast for tomorrow, and Ranboo turned his attention towards it. 

“...for this week. Next, let’s take a look at the hourly breakdown of tomorrow’s weather. With storm clouds moving in, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas.” The weather forecaster explained, as they continued eating. 

The silence was deafening, and Ranboo wanted to strike up a conversation with Foolish, since he seems a bit less cheery after what just happened, which was honestly starting to worry him a little.

“What does your mom do?” He asked, blurting out the first thing he could think of. He regretted it almost immediately when he saw Foolish’s frown deepened, but then decided to brush it off.

“She...investigates stuff. Like crime scenes.” Foolish replied, staring blankly at his plate of food. “My mom’s a detective.”

Huh, that’s one way to put it. Although, Ranboo was a bit intrigued. I mean, a female detective? They were quite a rare occurrence. Not that he’s against it or anything, it's just...surprising. Though, it does suit Puffy. 

His thoughts were cut short when the local news came on, and the announcer started speaking. “And now for the local news. City council secretary Oliver Hitman is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Helga Walters, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages.”

“In response, Eye Television has decided to cancel all of Maya Shimizu’s televised appearances. Until allegations of an affair with Mr.Hitman are resolved, she’ll remain off the air and out of the public eye.”

“...This is boring.” Foolish concluded, changing the channel once more before Ranboo could even say anything else. The screen this time showed some sort of commercial. 

“At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!” The cheery voice exclaimed, and music then began to play in the background.  _ “Everyday is great at your Junes!~” _

“Everyday is great at your Junes!” Foolish happily sang along, which startled Ranboo a little, as the older wasn’t expecting that. He looked at him with confusion, tilting his head to the side. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Oh- yeah- right.” Ranboo resumed silently eating his food, ignoring the sense of awkwardness between them. 

…

Ranboo had finished dinner and washed up his dishes, before going up the stairs to head off to bed. A yawn escaped his lips as he looked around the room that he’ll be borrowing for the year, seeing as there’s still a few boxes that needed to be unpacked. He could do that tomorrow, right now he needed to get some shut eye. 

School starts tomorrow, so he definitely needed to get some sleep. Ranboo quickly took a quick shower and brushed his teeth after putting on his pajamas, letting Foolish take the bathroom after he finished using it. He laid down on the mattress, lifting the covers up and burying himself underneath them. 

Tomorrow will be a new day. He wondered if everything would be alright…

…

Well, he should get some sleep.

…

Ranboo slowly opened his eyes, wondering why he isn’t laying down on the bed anymore. He stood up straight, taking in his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of some kind of path, with a thick fog surrounding the whole area around him. 

Where is he? Is this another one of his crazy dreams? He still hasn't recovered from the last time. Well, the only thing Ranboo can do was proceed forward, even if he’s a bit hesitant about this choice. And so that’s what he did. 

He walked and walked, wondering where the path was taking him. It was dead silent aside from his heavy breathing, until he heard someone’s voice. 

_ Do you seek the truth? _

What?

_ If it’s the truth you desire, come and find me… _

It was all so strange but...something in Ranboo tells him that he should keep going and find out what’s at the end of this path. He needed to know the truth, and the voice he heard seems like it’s just up ahead.

He continued, walking a bit faster than before. He reached a black and red door, basically begging the question to linger for a moment to give him time to think.  _ Do you wish to continue?  _ His curiosity is dying to know what was on the other side, so Ranboo agreed, waiting for the door to open before he continued. 

As he stepped through the door, a sword suddenly appeared in his hand, which made his eyes widen in surprise since when the hell did he even get this? Of course, he didn’t have time to answer his own question as he saw an ominous figure through the fog. 

_ “So...you are the one pursuing me..” _ The voice said.  _ “Hmhmhmhm… Try all you like…” _

Ranboo gripped the handle of the sword in his hand, adrenaline starting to rush through his veins. He bolted forward and landed an attack, only to cause little damage. Even if he can’t see clearly, he can see a tiny bit of the figure. 

The figure seemed to have noticed that as well.  _ “Hm… It seems you can see little, despite the fog…” _ It said. 

“Who- who are you and what do you want from me?!” Ranboo gritted his teeth in an attempt to sound threatening as he landed another hit, hoping to do more damage than before. 

_ “Hm… I see… Very interesting information...” _ The voice continued to ignore his question.  _ “But… You will not catch me so easily… If what you seek is ‘truth’, then your search will be harder...” _

Just then, the fog seemed to grow thicker, and Ranboo couldn’t see anything else anymore aside from himself. He tried to attack, but ended up missing and hitting the empty air instead as his breathing staggered. 

_ “Everyone sees what they want to… And the fog only deepens…” _

“Just tell me who you are! What are you saying?!” Ranboo yelled into the mist, darting his eyes around as he checked his surroundings to make sure nothing would come after him from behind. 

_ “Will we meet again at a place other than here..?” _ The voice only ignored him, ever so mysteriously speaking like it’s inside his head.  _ “Hmhmhmhm… I look forward to it…” _

Ranboo felt his weight grew heavier, as the dizziness started to kick in. The voice was the last thing he heard before the whole world plunged into darkness.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **REMINDER THAT THIS IS ALL STRICTLY PLATONIC! I WILL NOT BE ADDING ANY ROMANCE HERE! ALL BLUSHING/SCENES THAT WOULD SEEN AS ROMANTIC ARE COMPLETELY PLATONIC!**  
>  Speedrunning this chapter because google docs couldn't handle it anymore. Also how are we doing today after the latest stream? :) Personally, I'm crying but you don't need to know that-
> 
> TW // There's mentions of a dead body, so there's that.

_04 / 12_ **TUESDAY** **  
****Early Morning**

“Breakfast is ready!”

Foolish’s voice rang throughout the entire house, and that was enough of a wake up call for Ranboo to get up. He felt much better than yesterday, physically, at least. The dream he had just now didn’t exactly comfort him at all, but there’s not much time to dwell on it. It's the first day of school, so he shouldn’t add more to the list of reasons why he’s stressed. 

Ranboo slowly got up from the bed and decided to head to the bathroom to get a fresh shower to put on his school uniform, which fits him perfectly like a glove. He smiled as he admired himself in the mirror, tying his long hair that reached past his shoulders into a ponytail before walking down the stairs. 

Foolish was in the kitchen, setting up their breakfast. “Good morning!” He cheerfully exclaimed as soon as he noticed the older’s presence nearby, carefully placing down a plate of eggs and toasted bread. 

“Good morning.” Ranboo replied, trying to sound as happy as the younger is despite failing. He then looked around the room and noticed that Puffy was still nowhere to be found. Huh, she must’ve still been at work. He should probably be careful of what he says next. “Did you make all this?”

“Yup! I can toast bread and cook sunny-upside eggs in the morning.” Foolish happily responded, taking a seat opposite to Ranboo’s. The two then started eating their breakfast, and Ranboo has to say that Foolish was a good cook for his age. He hadn't even learned how to cook yet until he was fifteen, only living off takeouts. 

As soon as they finished, Ranboo volunteered to wash the dishes for both of them. “You’re going to school today, right?” Foolish asked, placing his now empty plate on the sink. 

“Yeah, I am.”

“Awesome! My school is on the way so...let’s go together!” 

Ranboo couldn’t help but smile. He did know the directions to his new school in advance so he wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost in the way, but he could still get lost and some company from a person who knew this place would be nice, especially if he didn’t know anyone in this small city yet.   
  


…

  
  


It was pouring, just like what the weather forecast told them in the news from yesterday. Ranboo and Foolish brought separate umbrellas so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting soaked in the rain, which is pretty convenient for both of them. Ranboo watched as Foolish happily jumped in the small wet puddles, careful not to get his socks and shoes wet. It was adorable, and understandable, for someone like his age to play with the rain. 

They finally stopped at the school gates where the younger boy was going to, and this is where they separate their ways. “You keep going straight from here.” Foolish sated, pointing his finger at the other direction. “I’ll see you soon. Bye-bye!”

Ranboo gave him a small wave to match his enthusiastic one, watching the younger head off and meet up with his school friends. The teen then placed his hand in his pocket and continued trudging forward, following the directions Foolish gave him. He continued walking, seeing a few students with the same brand of uniform as he had passed by, which meant that he was going the right direction.

“Whoaaaa..!”

He was almost there when he saw one of the students riding a bike pass by him, except the student seems to be on the verge of falling at any moment given how the bike staggered it’s way through. Ranboo visibly winced when a loud crash was suddenly heard, and he decided to check to see if the stranger was okay.

The bike and the umbrella had now fallen over to the ground, and the student let out a low groan as he limped, his hands wrapped around the center of his inner thighs. _Yikes_ , that looks painful. Ranboo decided not to interrupt him, not wanting to intrude on any unnecessary business and continued on his way. Although, he did feel a bit guilty leaving the stranger alone like that. He hoped he'd be alright.

After a few more minutes and forgetting that unpleasant incident, Ranboo finally reached the gates of Yasogami High School. The school was large, with a great number of students, not that wasn’t a characteristic of schools these days. He would be staying here for the whole school year, so it would be best to have a good first impression.

Ranboo wondered what kind of student life awaits him here.

…

The classroom was filled with chattering students, as to be expected. Ranboo could hear the chattering and talking from the outside of the classroom, until it quieted down when the teacher, who happens to be his homeroom teacher for the whole year, named Sir Billiam, opened the door. There was a bit more chattering until the elegant adult stepped in the front of the class.

“Commoners, please shut your mouths!” He exclaimed, and the whole class did so. Ranboo felt a bit awkward standing at the front, but he knew he had to. “My name is Sir Billaim the Third, and I will be your homeroom teacher starting today.”

The students looked a bit uneasy by that declaration, and it only goes to show that they don’t really...like this teacher very much. Sir Billaim then continued, as if the atmosphere in the classroom isn’t affecting him. “Anyways, as much as I have other rich people things to do, I have to introduce this new commoner that will be joining your kind. Even if he is from the larger city, I doubt he has a lot of money.” 

“Go on and introduce yourself, commoner.” Sir Billaim exclaimed, turning his head towards him. 

“Oh- uh- uhm-” Ranboo cleared his throat, nervously glancing around the room as he felt the eyes on him. He’s not used to eye contact, so he tried not to stare into the ground or stare at one person. “Just call me Ranboo, I guess.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah...”

“You sound quite unsure of yourself, new commoner.” Sir Billiam concluded. Ranboo awkwardly rubbed the side of his arm as he averted his gaze.

A girl with long blonde hair and lime green athletic jacket with decorative pins on one side suddenly raised her hand up. “Excuse me, sir! Can the transfer student sit here?” She asked, referring to the empty spot sitting next to hers. 

“Ah, very well. Go on then, new commoner. Sit down with the poor people.” 

Ranboo internally sighed in relief as he walked over, sitting down and setting his bag next to him. At least his classmates weren’t looking at him anymore, even if he still is the center of attention, having heard them whispering about it. 

“It must’ve sucked being a transfer student and getting in Sir Billiam’s class the first morning here.”

“Yeah, he wouldn’t think twice on suspending you if you get on his bad side.”

“Then again, we’re all in the same boat here…”

Ignoring the whispers, he tried not to dwell on it too much, not wanting to create any unnecessary business, as that would be bad on his record. He just hoped he’ll be able to live through this and the entire year. 

“Sucks to be the new guy huh?” The girl next to him spoke up. Only then did he notice the black headband with a white circle that has a drawn smiley face on it.

“Yeah...but I can manage.” Ranboo stated, shrugging in response.

“Sir Billaim isn’t exactly evil but...he’s a bit weird, y’know? He’s rich, yeah, but he doesn’t like ‘poor people’. You’re lucky if you’re one of the cool kids at school.” 

“That must be unfortunate for you and the others.”

The girl hummed in acknowledgement. “Eh, I’m used to it. We just have to hang in there for the whole year.”

Ranboo figured that was the end of their conversation, and so they turned their attention back towards their teacher as he began to call out their names, making sure to check everybody’s attendance.   
  


His first day of school has begun. He wondered if he’ll fit in here…

…

_04 / 12_ **TUESDAY** **  
****After School**

“That’s all for today. Normal lectures will be starting tomorrow.”

Ranboo took a deep breath, silently relieved that the day was over and nothing bad or embarrassing had happened. The students began to pack up their stuff or chat with the other students as Sir Billaim was about to leave the classroom. However, it was shortly interrupted when the speakers suddenly turned on. 

_“Attention all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave under any circumstances.”_

As soon as the announcement ended, Sir Billaim turned back to the class. “Well, you heard them. Do not leave this classroom unless they tell you otherwise.” He exclaimed, before shortly leaving the room before anyone else could comment further. 

The whole class was noisy after that, and Ranboo couldn’t help but frown a little that he’ll have to stay here a bit longer. Foolish must be already back home, waiting for him. He hated the thought of the younger being alone, but Ranboo figured he would be able to take care of himself without him or Puffy around. 

What made him nervous was the fact that sirens were suddenly heard from the outside, and a few rumor-loving students checked the outside of the window to see what was going on, despite the thick fog in the way. 

“Did something happen? Don’t those sirens sound really close?”

“Ugh, I can’t see a damn thing… Frickin’ fog…”

“Yeah, like everytime it rains lately it gets all foggy.”

“Hey, did you hear? I heard that the paparazzi are looking all over for that announcer .”

“Oh, yeah. You mean Maya Shimizu, right? I heard some guys spotted her at the shopping district.”

“Actually, I heard that…”

“Are you serious?!”

Ranboo was slightly a bit intrigued by the conversation he was hearing, even if he didn’t mean to eavesdrop on them. He watched as one of the students walked up to one of the girls in the class, the one with chestnut brown hair tied into a neat bun and wearing a tangerine colored sweater and black leggings. 

“H-hey, Lani. Mind if I ask you something?” The student nervously stated, rubbing the back of his head as the other looked up to him in confusion. “Is it true that announcer’s staying at your family inn?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t discuss those kinds of things.” The girl- who Ranboo assumed her name was Lani -replied, looking mildly uncomfortable. 

“Y-yeah, I guess not.” The student quickly left before she could say anything else. Ranboo decided to focus on reading for a bit so that he could learn in advance for the lectures tomorrow, not wanting to seem like the dumb kid. It might take a while for him to get home, and he might as well pass the time. 

He didn’t notice the girl from earlier had approached Lani, and was now talking to her. The two must be friends, Ranboo thought. He decided not to interfere with their conversation, since one, he doesn’t exactly know them and two, he’s never been good with people.

“Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?”

“There’s no telling.”

“I should’ve left when the announcer came on… By the way, did you try it out?”

“Try what out..?”

“You know, the thing I told you about rainy nights?”

“Oh- no, not yet, sorry.”

‘Awh, that’s okay! It's just, I heard a guy in the class next door say something like his soulmate is Maya Shimizu, the announcer.”

It had been a few more minutes until the speakers suddenly came on once again, bringing up everyone’s attention. Ranboo wondered what they'd be announcing this time. Perhaps they’re finally being let out? Who knows?

“Attention all students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians and leave the school grounds immediately. Do not diturb the police officers. Head directly home. I repeat...”

As soon as it was announced, the whole class started to get jittery and excited, especially those who loved to gossip and spread rumors with each other. In all honesty, Ranboo was also a bit curious about what might have happened. Maybe he could ask Puffy about it? She is a police detective, though Ranboo doubted she’d give him information.

“Woah! An incident?”

“What? Something actually happened?”

“C’mon, let’s go take a look!”

A few students left the classroom to see what was going on. Ranboo stayed behind, of course, not wanting to get in trouble. He started to put his stuff back in his bag and stood up from his seat, getting ready to head back home. 

“Hey!” The blonde haired girl from before suddenly stopped him. “Are you going home by yourself?”

“Erm, yeah. I am.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” The girl gave him a small smile, before her face suddenly morphed into realization. “Oh, right! I almost forgot! I’m Drista Green. You know I sit next to you, right?”

“Oh, of course! It's nice to meet you, Drista.” Ranboo replied, before giving out a small smile as he shifted his weight to the other foot. 

“It’s nice to meet you too! This here is Lani Sky, and she’s my best friend!” Drista exclaimed, gesturing to the girl standing next to her. 

Lani was a bit startled by the sudden introduction, but she quickly gave a gentle smile to greet the taller male. “Hello there. Ranboo, was it? Sorry if this is a bit sudden.” 

“Come on, don’t apologize like that. No need to be so formal.” Drista slightly pursed her lips together.

“It’s fine. No worries.” Ranboo reassured the two of them. Huh, they seem like nice people, and he wouldn’t mind spending a bit more time with them. This could be his chance at gaining new friends. 

They were about to leave the classroom when they were suddenly stopped by another student. Ranboo recognized him as the one who fell off the bike from earlier, with the blonde hair and purple hoodie to match his purple eyes. He seems to be doing alright, aside from the fact he looks...kinda nervous? Scared? Maybe both.

“Uh, uhm, Miss Green..? This was really awesome. Like the way they moved was just amazing to see...” The boy exclaimed, and Ranboo was a bit confused by what he meant, and even Drista and Lani are as well. That is, until he suddenly held out a DVD. “And I’m really sorry! It was an accident- Please have mercy on me until my next paycheck!”

The male gave it to Drista and started running, but not without the other following him. “Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD?!” She yelled, chasing after the boy. Ranboo and Lani could only watch until they both flinched by the sudden crash, followed by a yelp. 

The two of them walked over to see the male now limping, just like before when Ranboo first saw him. Did Drista just- did she just kick him? Oho-okay...daily reminder not to get on her bad side. Like ever. He feels really bad for the guy too. 

“What the-?! I can’t believe this! It's completely cracked...” A sudden cry from Drista averted his attention towards her, as she now opened the DVD in her hands, seeing the disc inside cracked into pieces. “My ‘Operation of the Fork’...!”

“I think mine’s cracked too… C-critical hit to the nads…” The guy groaned, still holding onto the throbbing pain in between his inner thighs. 

“A-are you alright?” Lani asked, a bit concerned for the other male.

“L- Lani… Are you worried about me..?”

Before Lani could answer, Drista interfered, an annoyed and irritated expression on her face. Definitely not a good sign. “He’s fine, Lani. Let’s ditch him and go home.”

“Are you sure..?” Ranboo was about to help him when Drista suddenly grabbed him and Lani both by their wrists and dragged them out. Well, he just left him in a lot of pain. For the second time as well. Ranboo wondered if he’ll still be able to have children in the future if the guy keeps getting attacked like that.

…

The three of them walked towards the gates, conversing about different topics like school and other stuff. They were about to leave when they were suddenly stopped by a strange looking student, not that Ranboo meant to judge by appearance or anything. Although, something about this guy made him uneasy.

“You’re Lani, right? Y-you want to go hang out somewhere?” The male asked, his attention shifted towards the other girl. Judging from his clothing, he isn’t a student from this school either, which makes Ranboo even more suspicious. 

A few students have seen what was happening, and they were most likely whispering stuff that he couldn’t quite hear, but mostly about the strange encounter. Ranboo heard some stuff about the strange looking student and about the ‘Lani Sky challenge’. From what he thinks, it's a challenge about who would get Lani first.

It was inhumane how people would do that. No person should be treated like some sort of object or trophy they could gain. Besides, are they really into her only for her looks? That thought made Ranboo feel disgusted. He wondered if Lani ever noticed this or voiced these out.

“S-so are you coming or not..?” The boy continued to pester her, and he seems like he wouldn’t be leaving without an answer.

In which Lani nervously responded. “No, I’m not going…”

The boy looked furious by that answer, and Ranboo was about to step in before things could get worse, when the other simply clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “Fine..!” He angrily exclaimed before running off. That seems to confuse the three of them. 

“What did he want from me..?” Lani asked, more likely to herself. 

“He probably wanted to ask you out on a date.” Ranboo said in response. 

“Huh? Really?” Lani seems surprised by that answer. Is she really that oblivious this whole time? That must be why she never noticed what the other guys wanted from her.

Even Drista seems to agree with his thoughts. “You really had no clue? Damn…” She placed her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “But then again, that was way over the top. It was creepy how he knew your name.”

“Yo, Lani. Turned down another lovelorn fool huh?” The guy from earlier suddenly appeared, this time with his bike next to him. “Man, you’re cruel. You turned down one of my guy friends from last year too.” Ranboo realized he hadn't gotten his name yet, despite bumping into each other and especially how they’re in the same class as well.

“I don’t recall doing that.” 

“Woah, you serious? You’re more forgetful than I thought.” He replied, before hopping on the bike and getting ready to leave. “Anyway, you guys better not pick on the transfer student too much.”

“We’re just curious about him!” Drista shot a glare as she called out to the other who was already pedalling most likely back home. 

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this.” Lani suddenly said, looking over to Ranboo with a solemn expression. 

“Oh- it’s fine. Not that much of a big deal.” Ranboo assured the other with a smile, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. 

There was an awkward silence between them when they found out that everyone in the school ground had been staring at them this whole time, which makes it even more awkward. This is why Ranboo hates crowds. 

“Come on, let’s go. Everyone’s staring.” Drista stated, ushering them to follow along.

…

“Ah, so you came here because of your parent’s job. I thought it was something way more serious.” 

“Yeah. It’s hard, but it's nothing I couldn’t handle. You get used to it at times.” 

“There really is nothing here huh?” Drista suddenly said, looking into the open field right beside the street they were walking in. It was pretty to look at, if it weren’t for the dark clouds blocking the sun. “That’s what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from the outside.”

Ranboo raised an eyebrow. “Are there any special places in this town?”

“Not much. Though there is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think dyed clothes or pottery or something like that is kinda famous.” She pondered at that thought, before suddenly brightening up. “Oh wait, there’s the Sky Inn! Lani’s family runs it. It’s the pride of Inaba!”

Lani seems a bit flustered at that. “It’s just an old inn. Nothing too special.”

“No way, it's been in all sorts of magazines as a hidden treasure!” Drista proudly exclaimed, grinning widely. She then wrapped an arm around the shorter female’s shoulder, pulling closer towards her. “It’s a great inn! And it's been going on for generations, Lani here is going to take over it someday.”

“Really? That sounds nice.” Ranboo couldn’t help but smile, making Lani’s cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. 

“It is! Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going.”

“I don’t think that’s entirely true…”

“So, tell me. You think Lani is cute huh?” Drista suddenly asked, a smirk appearing on his face. Ranboo felt a bit flustered by that question, unsure of what to say. He never had someone ask him that kind of question before. 

“Um...I’m not sure if I’m allowed to answer- Not that I don’t think she is. I just don’t judge people by looks, y’know?” 

“Oh come on! Just admit it!” 

“Drista, don’t start this again!” Lani slightly pursed her lips together. However, her best friend seems to ignore her embarrassment. 

“Lani had always been really popular at school but she never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, isn’t it?”

“C-come on, stop it.” Lani interrupted her before Drista could say anything else. “You shouldn’t believe that kind of stuff, okay? It's not true that I’m popular or that I’ve never had a boyfriend!”

Ranboo blinked in confusion. “Okay..?”

“Wait, no no! What I mean to say was I don’t need a boyfriend!” Lani groaned, averting her gaze away so they wouldn’t see her embarrassed face. “Geez, Drista- why did you have to tell him all that?”

Drista let out a laugh, still grinning. “Sorry, sorry! It's been a while since we talked to someone from the big city and you hardly spoke at all!” She exclaimed, before suddenly pausing as she looked ahead. “Hey, what’s that?”

Ranboo and Lani both looked over at what caught her her attention. Up ahead, there were several people surrounding what seemed to be some sort of crime scene, judging by the police car that was parked nearby and a police officer that stood in front of the barrier to stop people from getting in. 

“So that high schooler left early, and as she came down this street…”

“Wow, who could imagine _that_ hanging from an antenna?"

"I wanted to see it too."

"You got here too late… The police and the fire department took it down just a moment ago."

"Well, I think it's terrifying. I didn't think a dead body showed up around here."

The three teens widened their eyes in surprise upon over hearing the conversation between the two women that was amongst the crowd. It seem they all heard the same thing that they said. "What did she just say? A dead body?!" Drista exclaimed, her mouth slightly agape. 

Before they could say anything else, someone suddenly walked up to them. "Ranboo? What are you doing here?" Puffy asked, and she seemed a bit stressed, judging from her knitted eyebrows. It surprised him seeing the older woman at a place like this, but then he remembered what Foolish had told him. Right, he should've expected for something like this to happen.

"We were just passing by." Ranboo shortly replied, not wanting for her to get any wrong ideas and hoped he didn't mean to cause any trouble. 

Puffy looked thoughtful for a moment, before letting out a sigh, running a hand through her white curly hair. "I should've known that would happen… We told the principal not to let anyone through here."

"You know this lady?" Drista asked, leaning over to whisper in Ranboo's ear. 

"Yeah… She's actually my aunt."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Captain Puffy. Be sure to take care of each other, okay?" Puffy gave them a small smile. "This place is strictly prohibited, so you better get home."

She was just about to head back when a young brown haired man suddenly ran past her and threw up on the nearest trash can. Puffy's face immediately grew into something of concern, while the three teens stared in shock and confusion. "Oh my god- Bad? Are you alright? Do you need me to take you home?" 

"I'm sorry… Ngh…" The man replied, making Puffy let out a sigh as she walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ranboo assumed that man was Puffy's assistant detective or something, judging from his clothing and how the older woman treated him.

"You get cleaned up, alright? We're gonna go around and gather information." 

They waited until the two adults left, leaving the three of them to process the information they heard just now, letting that sink in into their brains. Was this what that announcement was about? What did they mean it was hanging from an antenna? How does a dead body fit into any of this? Ranboo had so many questions lingering in his mind right now, but unfortunately, he had no answers to them.

"Hey, Lani. You wanna go to Junes?" Drista finally spoke up, breaking the tense silence between them.

Lani nodded in response. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea…"

"Alright then, we're taking off." Drista exclaimed, looking over to Ranboo. "See you at school tomorrow, big guy."

"Right. You two have fun."

As the two of them left, Ranboo was once again alone with his thoughts. It'd be best if he leave the crime scene, not wanting to get in trouble with Puffy or any member of the police. The case will most likely get solved as soon as the authorities have handles it, so he shouldn't worry about such things…

…right?

…

_04 / 12_ **TUESDAY**

**Evening**

"I wonder if Mom's not coming home again tonight…" Foolish murmured, more likely to himself as he looked down to the floor, his eyes saddening a little. The two of them are currently in the living room, watching some late news on the TV whilst sitting on the couch. Ranboo couldn't help but feel a bit bad for the younger boy, as Puffy would most likely be busy, especially during the earlier encounter. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure on what to say, so he stayed silent, averting his gaze back to the TV.

"Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in the quiet suburb." The announcer stoicly stated. "Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba."

Ranboo paused and straightened up in his seat, seeing as the screen was showing a picture of the School Zone. Could this be the incident he heard about…? 

"The deceased was identified as Ms. Maya Shimizu, a 27-year-old announcer at the local television station. The initial results of the Inaba Police Department's have been revealed…"

"Ah! T-the Inaba Police Station! That's where my Mom works!" Foolish suddenly exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise as his expression turns sour. 

"Hey, it'll be alright." Ranboo assured the younger, hoping to at least make him feel better, even if it's just a bit. 

Foolish looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning his head back to the screen. "…I know. That's her job, so this stuff happens."

"The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or homicide." Hanging from the antenna…that's definitely a bizarre way to hide the body. If the culprit was even trying to hide it. "A thick fog common around the area has slowed their progress, and plans to fully canvass the area are delayed until tomorrow."

So that TV announcer was found dead near the Yasogami High School campus, which explains why there was suddenly police flooding the area rom earlier. The announcer, Maya Shimizu… Wasn't her affair with a local councilman's secretary on the news just the other day? It seems some people got really mad at her for it. Talk about scary stuff. 

"They found her hanging from an antenna? That's scary…" Foolish said, and Ranboo couldn't agree more. The screen then changed into something else, and the same commercial from yesterday played again. Foolish seemed to lighten up at that. "Oh! It's Junes!"

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! _Every day is great at your Junes!~_ "

"Every day is great at your Junes!" Foolish happily sang along, like he did the last time the song played. Except this time, he was looking at the older teen expectantly, like he was waiting for him to say something. 

Ranboo gave a small smile, deciding to sing along to cheer him up. "Your Junes!~" 

Foolish gasped, his smile growing brighter. "You memorized it already? I'm the best one in my class!" He then continued to sing the song by himself over and over, Ranboo smiling softly as he danced around to the happy tune. It seems he had already forgotten about the news just now, which is good for him. 

He decided it was probably time to head to bed, which was more likely the best thing to do. Ranboo still have school tomorrow, and he's slowly starting to get used to this new life of his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, we're gonna get to the juicy bits soon, I hope. I might make their designs as well so people could know what they look like since I'm not good with describing things. I don't draw so I'm gonna use Gacha Club,,,or not because some people might attack me for it. I don't have money to commission artists either so rip ;-;


	3. Midnight Channel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW // Mentions of a dead body again, they're talking about a murder case here

_ 04 / 13 _ **WEDNESDAY**

**Early Morning**

Ranboo was walking towards school, his mind still lingering around about that incident from yesterday. Hopefully whoever killed the announcer would get caught soon and get paid for their crimes, not wanting for a murderer to wander around the town scot free. Who knows what might happen?

“Somebody… Help..!”

He then noticed something from the corner of his eye. A student seems to be struggling, the upper half of their body stuck inside the trash can. Ranboo should probably help them out, and so that’s what he did. He grabbed the edges of the bin and slowly and steadily pulled the body out, revealing a familiar face he’d seen from yesterday.

The boy had dirty blonde hair and purple eyes to match his purple hoodie, a pair of black headphones wrapped around his neck. “Finally! Whew… Thank you for saving me.” He let out a sigh of relief, dusting off his clothing to get rid of any stains that might stick to the fabric. 

“It’s no problem at all. Glad I could help.” Ranboo rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly at the other. 

“Hey, aren’t you that transfer student? Ranboo, right? We bumped into each other a few times but I guess we never formally met. I’m Purpled, nice to meet ya.” He smiled, pulling his hand out for a handshake, in which Ranboo took without hesitation.

“That’s uh- that’s a very intriguing name. You must really like the color purple.”

“It’s not my fault my parents named me this way! Also, who names their child  _ Ranboo _ _?_ ”

“…Touche.”

“Anyways,” Purpled pulled his bike back up, quickly checking to see if it was still rideable to go to school. “Did you hear about the incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from a fucking antenna! How crazy is that?”

Ranboo couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “It is pretty weird. I don’t think it’s just an accident.” 

“Me neither. You think it was some kind of warning? Dangling a dead body over a roof like that… That’s just fucked up.” Purpled paused for a moment, before quickly adding, “Then again, it's pretty fucked up to kill someone in the first place.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Purpled suddenly looked over to his watch on his wrist, and his eyes almost popped out of its sockets. “Shit! We’re late!” He exclaimed, catching Ranboo by surprise. Shit, they are late for their homeroom class. Hopefully Sir Billiam wouldn’t get angry. “You wanna ride? It's a bit squeaky, but it should be fine.”

“Um…no thanks.” 

…

_ 04 / 13 _ **WEDNESDAY**

**Morning**

Listening to the lecture Sir Billaim was giving was pretty boring, and some of the students aren’t even paying attention as they were busy discussing about the murder incident that must have happened yesterday. It's a small town, so news spread fast, especially if they’re intriguing enough for the public eye. 

“Commoners! Please silence your mouths!” Sir Billaim exclaimed, clapping his hands together in order to catch everyone's attention. “I know you all are worried about the incident, but I am sure it is nothing to worry about. You are a student, so you have to act like it.”

Ranboo paid no attention to the quiet complaints and grumblings from his classmates as he opened up his notebook to start taking down notes. Sir Billaim was talking about philosophy, and Ranboo could definitely use his new-found knowledge for the upcoming tests. 

…

_ 04 / 13 _ **WEDNESDAY**

**After School**

“So, are you getting used to this place?” Purpled asked as soon as he walked up to his desk while Ranboo was organizing his stuff inside his bag. Classes have ended, and there was no announcer like yesterday so everything was going perfectly well. 

“Yeah, I think I am.” Ranboo gave a half-lidded smile, looking up to meet his gaze and make eye contact, even if it won’t be for long. It was true he was starting to get used to his new life, even if it's only been a day or so. He learned how to adapt fast to environmental changes anyway, and so far it's been going well.

“Wow, that’s fast.” Purpled grinned, placing his arms on both sides of his hips. “There isn’t much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain...something you wouldn’t get anywhere else.”

Ranboo arched an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the air’s clean, the food’s great… Oh, you know about that local delicacy?” He exclaimed. “It’s grilled steak man! Like that’s anything special huh?”

“Huh. That does sound nice.” 

“I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me out this morning, so it’s on me.” 

“What about me, huh? No apologies?”

The two looked over to see a very angry Drista storming towards them with resentfulness on her face. She still looked as pissed as she was yesterday, and Ranboo couldn’t help but feel a bit alarmed of what might happen. 

“Y’know, my ‘Operation of the Fork’…” She gritted her teeth, glaring at the other male.

Purpled frowned, narrowing his eyes. “You always come around when I’m talking about food.”

Drista then looked over to Lani, who was silently arranging her stuff inside her bag. “How about it, Lani? Don’t you think he should treat us too?”

“Sorry, Drista, but I’ll pass. I have to help out at the inn today.” Lani apologetically said, standing up from her seat to get ready to leave.

“Have you started training to take over the business?” Ranboo asked, looking over to her. 

“It’s not like that. I’m just helping out when it gets busy… Well, I should be on my way.”

Lani shortly left, leaving the three of them alone with each other. “Oh well, we should get going too.” Drista shrugged, shoving her hands back inside her pockets as she turned to the other two.

“Wha- Do I seriously have to treat you too?” Purpled retorted, brows knitted in the mix of disbelief and sadness, the sadness more likely goes to his wallet. Ranboo could only sigh, knowing that it's gonna be a long day.

…

“This is the cheap place you’re talking about? They don’t even have grilled steak here!”

“Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans.”

The three of them are currently at the food court of Junes, which must be the same thing that the commercial was talking about from before. It was a bit crowded and lively, with happy tuned music playing in the background. Ranboo had been watching Drista and Purpled argue nonstop ever since they got here, and he wondered how these two are ever friends.

Drista huffed her cheeks, crossing her arms over her chest. “Still, that’s no reason to take us to your place.” She exclaimed, ignoring the tray of food that Purpled had left on the table after buying for them.

“Dude, this isn’t my place or anything.”

“What do you mean?” Ranboo seems a bit confused, as he slightly tilted his head to the side. He knew he had to ask, and there’s no harm in wanting to get to know more about your friends. 

Purpled looked at him for a moment, before something in his mind clicked. “Oh, right. I haven’t told you yet, have I? I moved here from another city about six months back. This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it. So my entire family came out here.”

He then grabbed one of the drinks, a small smile on his face. “Here, this is to welcome you to town.” Purpled stated, gesturing for Ranboo to take one of the drinks as well, before looking over to Drista. “Yours is on me too, Drista.”

“Yeah, I know.” Drista rolled her eyes, but there was no hidden malice behind it and she was smiling a little as she grabbed a drink for herself. Ranboo couldn’t help but smile as well, as they all took a sip from their drinks and continued on with their conversation. 

Their small talk became animated, as Purpled and Drista were mostly the ones carrying the conversation, with Ranboo voicing out his input and responses here and there, and they seem to grow closer to each other. 

“It’s only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven’t been to the local shopping district much since.” Drista exclaimed, talking animatedly with her hands. “A lot of stores have started closing and… Oh, uh…”

She started trailing off, with Purpled realizing what she meant to say. “…You can’t blame it all on Junes, can you?” 

Once again, Ranboo was left confused. What did he mean by that? But of course, before he could ask, Purpled suddenly turned his head the other way, something catching his eye. 

“Hey, it’s Hannah! Sorry, be right back.”

Looking over to meet his gaze, Ranboo saw a timid looking girl with long dark brown hair with a crimson colored flower crown made out of roses sitting on top of her head, which contrasts her forest green eyes. She was wearing some sort of employee uniform with a white apron, and her expression seems to be a bit downcast. 

“Who’s that..?” Ranboo asked Drista, watching as Purpled slowly got up from his seat to approach the unfamiliar face. 

“That’s Hannah Rose. Her family runs a flower shop in the shopping district. “ Drista supplied, before pondering on that thought. “I think she’s working here part-time though.”

The two of them silently watched the interaction between the two, not knowing what they were talking about, before Hannah and Purpled suddenly started approaching their table, with the female seemingly to lead the way. 

“Are you the transfer student?” Hannah asked, looking over to Ranboo who responded with a nod. “I see. I guess you already know who I am. It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to huh? I don’t see Purpled here talking to the other guys that much.”

“Uh- I’m right here.” Purpled tried to interfere. 

Although, Hannah seems to continue to ignore him. “He doesn’t have too many friends, so I hope you two get along well!” She smiled, clasping her hands together. “Purpled’s a good guy, but he can get cocky sometimes. You just have to say it right to his face when he begins to annoy you.”

“He’s been nice to me so far. I think he’s a good guy.” Ranboo exclaimed, assuring the older female. 

Hannah let out a light giggle. “I know, I was just kidding.”

“Come on, Hannah. There’s no need to worry about something like that.” Purpled nervously chuckled, trying to cover up his own embarrassment. 

“Well, my break is finished. Back to work I go…” Hannah’s smile faltered, but she still kept up her pace as she walked away, heading back to finish her shift. Purpled sat back down as soon as she left, resting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. 

“Hannah says I’m annoying, but she’s even nosier than me.” He exclaimed in a jokingly manner, a small smile plastered on his face. “She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way.”

“You are kind of an annoying little brother. That’s why no girl would ever date you or even think you’re cool.” Drista had a smug grin on her face, making Purpled flush his cheeks with embarrassment as Ranboo silently watched them, a bit uncomfortable. 

“Wh- Fuck off! I don’t need a girlfriend to be cool.” 

“Oh, I know it’s hard, but don’t be sad. I know just the thing to cure your depression. Ever heard of the Midnight Channel?”

“The…what?” Ranboo blinked.

“The Midnight Channel. You’re supposed to look into a TV that’s switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night." Drista said ominously. "While you’re staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen…and they say that person is your soulmate!" 

Purpled let out a laugh out of disbelief. "What? For a moment there I thought you were actually gonna say something useful…" He exclaimed, frowning a little. "How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?"

"Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you?!"

"Of course I don't!"

"Well, it's raining tonight! Let's all try it out, then you'll see." 

"Try it out? Wait- you haven't even tried it yourself?" Ranboo asked, a bit flabbergasted by the whole ordeal. He didn't entirely believe it but it's an intriguing story. He did remember there was an old small TV in his room that was barely used, and it might still be working. 

"Wow, I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid…" Purpled murmured under his breath. "All that aside, you know that incident from yesterday? You guys think it was murder?"

Ranboo shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know… I'm not really sure."

"What if the culprit behind it was still lurking around? Ohoho…ow!" Purpled let out a yelp when Drista suddenly slapped him on the shoulder, as he rubbed the area where it hit and sent a glare in her direction.

"You shouldn't joke about stuff like that! Now who's the childish one?" Drista pursed her lips together, slightly narrowing her eyes. "All I'm saying is, you guys better try it out tonight."

Huh, maybe he should. It's an interesting rumor. A bit hard to believe, but it's worth a shot, right?

…

_ 04 / 13 _ **WEDNESDAY**

**Evening**

Another dinner alone tonight with Foolish. Ranboo noticed that the younger was down in the dumps, which definitely wasn't common for him. Puffy must've been extremely busy with the case right now, so it can't be helped. "Did your mom call or anything…?" He asked, wanting to make sure.

"Sometimes. Not often enough as she says."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them for a moment as Foolish stared down at his food, before suddenly hearing the front door open, making both of them slightly jump up in surprise and excitement, mostly on Foolish's part. 

"Oh! She's home!" Foolish exclaimed, his smile brightening up upon hearing a pair of footsteps coming towards them. Puffy seems worn out and exhausted, with her coat not taken off and draping over her shoulders as she lets out a sigh. 

"Phew… What a day…" The older woman brushed some of her hair off her face as she glanced at the two of them. "I'm sorry for being home so late. Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"You are late again, but it's okay!" What Foolish said made her visibly wince. 

"I'm sorry, bubs. Papa Puffy has been busy with work." Puffy exclaimed, her tone sounding a bit more gentle and kind, with a hint of fondness behind it. She took a seat on one of the chairs, getting ready to eat. "Could you put the news on for me?" Foolish did so, grabbing the remote and changing the channel of the TV. 

"Next, more details on the developing story of the incident in the foggy Inaba. Announcer Maya Shimizu's dead body was found hanging above a house in this isolated rural town." The announcer explained. "It is confirmed that Ms. Shimizu had been involved in an affair with Oliver Hitman, the husband of the enka singer Helga Walters."

It's a follow-up report from the incident yesterday. When Ms. Shimizu, the TV announcer, was alive, she was having an affair with a councilman's secretary. The man's wife seems to be Helga Walters, an enka singer. Could the incident be tied to their love quarrel? That seems like a possible motive. Then again, who is Ranboo to judge? Love could do a lot to a person. 

"The police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Ms. Shimizu's body." Someone saw the body?

"An interview with a kid? How the hell did they even find her…?" Puffy muttered, more likely to herself. The screen then changed into something else, now capturing the attention of a face that Ranboo couldn't recognize. 

"What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?"

_ "U-- umm…" _ Even the voice sounded indistinct, barely recognizable at all. But it feels like Ranboo had met her somewhere before. 

"Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?"

_ "Huh? She was killed…?" _

"Oh, err… So did you see anyone suspicious around here?"

_ "No, not really…" _

"We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care off?"

_ "Uh, that's…" _

The reporter's enthusiasm seems to be perplexing the girl. Ranboo looked closer to the TV, and he recognized that it was Hannah, one of Purpled's friends and someone who he considers as an older sister, even if he wouldn't admit it even to himself. What was she doing there? Was she the one who saw the body and called the police? If she left school early, she must've seen it then…

"--a tragedy occurred near the local shopping district.” The announcer this time was tackling a whole different topic. Ranboo must’ve missed the first half when he was spacing out. “Many store owners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result.” 

Hm, if they lose more customers, it’ll be because they’re making such a big deal about it. The scene then switched into something else, where a commentator were voicing out his opinions about the murder case. 

_ “It really is a bizarre case, isn’t it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna… I’d have to say it’s a warning or a sign from the culprit.” _

“Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime.”

“Loads of prank calls though…” Puffy murmured under her breath, taking a bite of her food. 

_“So the cause of death_ _is still unknown? And they don’t have a single suspect yet? Taxpayer’s funds are going to a police force who can’t even figure out if this is an accident or homicide?”_

Ranboo saw how Puffy’s eyes narrowed at that, but didn’t dare utter a word about it. It must’ve been really hard for her, considering how they have been gathering information nonstop the whole day today. Man...just who could have done this? What’s the reason for the culprit to do this kind of thing?

“We’ll be right back after these messages.”

A familiar commercial played, and of course, Foolish seemed to brighten up at that. Junes… That’s the place Purpled’s dad manages, right? Ranboo wondered if he could get a part-time job there sometime when he finally settled down in this place. Not that he already isn’t starting to get used to things.

Foolish sang the catch line of the song, before turning his head towards Puffy. “Hey Mom, can we go to Junes sometime?” He asked, eyes shining bright. 

“We’ll go there sometime, okay bub? How does that sound?” Puffy replied, ruffling his brown hair a little. Foolish nodded happily as he leaned into the touch, and Ranboo felt his heart melt at that. 

They continued to eat their dinner, until Ranboo excused himself to change into his pajamas and head upstairs to his room. He still has to check out the thing that Drista told him about earlier. Nothing could possibly go wrong. 

  
  


…

It was pouring harder than it should be. He peaked through the curtains to see if there's anything, but he couldn't see a single thing outside from his window due to the fog, the rain making it worse. Ranboo glanced at the clock, seeing as it was almost midnight as well. He's about to find out whether or not what Drista was saying is true. He doubt that he has a soulmate, platonic or not, but it would be nice to know that if he even has one. 

He waited for a few more minutes, to see if there's anything that would happen. After deciding that it was just some silly made up story, Ranboo let out a sigh and turned his head away from the black screen, only to be stopped short when he suddenly heard a stactic. He turned back, noticing that the screen was now turned on, and it was showing his something. 

Ranboo couldn't make out what it is, as the screen keeps fading in and out. He saw glimpses of a shadowed figure, but he couldn't who or what it is. There was a short flash of lightning, and then all of the sudden…

_ I am thou… Thou art I… _

A voice was heard, followed by a splitting headache that caused Ranboo to stumble backwards and let out a whimper in pain. He held the sides of his head, stumbling backwards away from the TV as the voice continued. 

_ Thou art the one…who opens the door… _

_ Make it stop, make it stop-  _ Ranboo fell to his knees, closing his eye shut and praying for the pain to go away. A lightning struck a nearby pole, cause the light to go out and let out a trail of smoke that was dissolved into the rain. As soon as the pain stopped, he took a moment to stabilize his staggered breathing as he looked back to TV, the screen now turned off like it was before. 

What the hell was that just now? That was definitely not an image of his soulmate. What does the voice mean? The one who opens the door? Is he hearing things again? 

Moving closer towards the TV, his eyes fixated on the small device, Ranboo reached his hand out to the screen and upon touching it, his finger suddenly went through. He pulled back, wondering if it was just a figment of his imagination, before building up the courage to try again, this time sticking his hand through the screen. A powerful force suddenly pulled him towards the TV, shocking him out of nowhere.

He let out a startled gasp as he was suddenly pulled through, as if his whole body is being pulled through the screen. He struggled and tried to escape the firm grip, before eventually letting go and banging the back of his head at the back of the small table sitting in the middle of the room and falling on his backside with a large thud. Fuck- that's definitely gonna have a bump there.

Ranboo hissed in pain, biting his tongue to stop him from screaming as he tried to sit up straight, still trying to comprehend what happened just now. There was a frantic knock on the door, followed by the sound of a panicked voice. "Are you okay?"  He recognized it as Foolish, and he cursed himself for making so much noise. 

"Did I wake you up?" Ranboo finally responded, still sitting on the floor as the pain slowly subsided. 

"I heard a really loud noise. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Y- yeah- no need to worry about it!"

There was a brief pause. "Alright then, good night." There were a pair of footsteps leading away from his room, which means Foolish must've headed back to his own room to go back to sleep. 

He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. He wasn't dreaming, is he? The fall felt pretty real, and whatever was pulling him through seems to have wanted to suck him in completely. Maybe it would be best to talk about it with the others tomorrow morning…

Ranboo sluggishly walked over to his bed and laid down, letting his fatigue consume him as he drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the juicy bits woop woop- I'm excited for this :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW // Again, more mentions of a dead body, and there's references to suicide(?).

_04 / 14_ **THURSDAY**

**Early Morning**

It was raining again, this time much lighter than yesterday. Ranboo was still hung up about the incident that happened last night. He was almost convinced that it was all just in his head if it weren’t for the way the back of his head throbbed with pain due to the fall. And Foolish had come to check up on him, so it can’t really just be all a dream. 

“Perfect timing! ‘Scuse me, moving through!” 

“Oh- hey, Drista.” The next thing he knew, Drista was walking right next to him, forcing herself underneath the umbrella he was holding. Ranboo noticed how she didn’t have any umbrella, which is why she was a bit drenched in the rain. “Did you forget to bring an umbrella? You do know it's going to rain today.”

“I did have my own, but then I saw this kung fu movie where they used an umbrella to pull off some killer moves…” Drista explained, rubbing the back of her head while smiling sheepishly. “And I may or may not have accidentally broke it while trying to mimic the movie.”

Huh, that seems like a Drista thing to do. She really likes that kind of stuff. 

“By the way, did you see it?” Drista asked, looking over to Ranboo with eagerness in her eyes. What was she talking about- oh. Right. 

“I did.”

“Oho, do tell! For me, the person that showed…” She paused for a moment. “Nevermind. I’ll save it for later when we meet up with the others. Come on, we’re gonna be late for school.”

Ranboo nodded in agreement, and the two began their way walking to school. He made sure the umbrella was big enough for both of them, so that they wouldn’t be completely soaked in the rain. They were practically glued together, until Drista shortly stopped into a halt.

“For a tall guy, you’re pretty slow. I’m just gonna run the rest of my way there.”

He felt a bit offended by that. It's not his fault he isn’t that athletic. But then he suddenly had an idea. “Then let’s race.”

Drista’s mouth was slightly agape. “Huh?! We’re _both_ gonna go through the rain?!”

“Isn’t that the purpose of a race?”

‘What’s the point in that? Besides, it's not like I wanted to make a break for it…” She thought about it for a moment, before her lips tugged upwards into a smile. “Eh, I’m worrying too much. We pretty much have the same class, so we’ll be stuck together anyway.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“Not right now. One of us could slip and get hurt. Besides, we wouldn’t want to be completely drenched and soaked in the rain now, do you?”

“Fair point.” 

“Come on then, let’s go!”

  
  


…

  
  


_04 / 14_ **THURSDAY**

**Morning**

“Hello everyone, my name is Ms. Liara. I don’t know much about you, but I’ll gladly teach you the wonders of history, if that’s alright.” The young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes stated as she stood in front of the whole class. 

She was wearing a light blue dress and white high heeled shoes, which seems pretty fancy for a teacher. “Since this is our first lecture, I’ll start with an easy question. Our transferee, Ranboo Watson, please stand up.”

Ranboo wasn’t really expecting to be called out, but he stood up from his seat anyway, not wanting to seem like a troublemaker. “Yes ma’am..?”

“The western calendar is based on Anno Domini, the traditionally believed year of Jesus Christ’s birth. What is the year before 1 AD called?”

“Um...0 AD?” Ranboo nervously replied, hoping he’d gotten the right answer. 

“Sorry, but under the current calendar system, the year before 1 AD is 1 BC.” Liara corrected. Oh well, he tried. “If you think that history is like math, 0 AD would be the natural assumption, but world history is much more complicated. The Gregorian calendar we use today is based on the Julian calendar, which was made while there was no concept of the zero as a number.”

“That’s why, when counting backwards, we go from 1 AD straight to 1 BC. Hopefully that’s a great introduction for world history.” 

Ranboo slowly sat back down after he was finished, feeling a bit embarrassed that he gave the incorrect answer. That just meant he’d have to study harder then. Nothing too big he couldn’t handle. 

  
  


…

  
  


_04 / 14_ **THURSDAY**

**After School**

“What’s up with the body being hung upside-down? That’s so freaky!”

“Is it supposed to be like…mimicking an execution or something?”

“One of my senior friends told me that it was a third-year named Hannah who found the body.”

Did they mean Hannah Rose? Ranboo did see her in the news after all. Poor girl… He could only imagine what it's like to see a body hanging up on the roof like that. Must’ve been freaky. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. He then shook his head, shaking those thoughts away. It's best not to think about it right now. He had other things to do. 

“Hey, um-” Purpled suddenly called out to him whilst he was arranging his things in his bag, seemingly nervous about something as he averted his gaze away from the taller male.

“What’s wrong?” Ranboo asked, a bit concerned for the other. 

“It’s uh- not really important but…well, yesterday, on TV, I-” Purpled cut himself off, letting out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his face. “Nevermind, I’ll tell you later about it.”

Ranboo was about to ask what he wanted to say, until Drista suddenly walked towards them. “Hey, Purpled! Did you hear about the rumor?” She asked, getting all giddy and excited. “Hannah’s supposedly the one who found the body.”

Purpled frowned a little. “I wonder if that’s why she looked so down… She doesn’t seem to be at school today either.” 

“That’s true.” Drista murmured under her breath, and she then fixed her gaze on something else. “Huh? Hey Lani, are you helping out at the inn today again?”

“Things are really out of hand right now. I’m sorry.” Lani replied, before slowly leaving the room in silence. The three silently watched as she left the classroom, before looking back at each other. 

“Is it just me, or does Lani seem way more stressed today?” Ranboo exclaimed, resting his elbows on the desk. 

“They must be running her ragged…” Drista let out a sigh. “By the way, did you see _it_ last night?”

Purpled blinked. “Huh? Did you?”

“I did! I seriously saw a girl! But…my soulmate’s a girl? What’s that supposed to mean?” She placed a hand on her chin, pondering on that thought. “I couldn’t quite tell who it was, but it was definitely a girl for sure…” 

Ranboo couldn’t help but feel a bit intrigued. Looking back, the figure he saw last night on the screen was also a girl, but it was extremely hard to tell who it was. “What does she look like..?” 

“Well, her hair was brown and long like mine. She was wearing our school uniform and…” 

Purpled’s eyes suddenly widened as his face morphed into something of realization. “Hey, I think that’s the same person I saw. I couldn’t make out that much detail though. The image I saw was much blurrier.” 

“Wait, so you saw it too?!” Drista’s mouth was now slightly agape. “And we saw the same girl… Does that mean we have the same soulmate?”

“How should I know?” Purpled then looked over to Ranboo. “How about you? Did you see it?”

“Yeah, I did.” Ranboo nodded, and then he began to tell them about how he also saw the same figure they saw on the TV, and also the parts where he was almost sucked in and there was a strong force pulling him forward, and there was a voice inside his head the whole time. 

Purpled and Drista exchanged worried looks with each other. “It seems like we all saw the same person…” Purpled muttered, more likely to himself. “But weird voices aside, what was that about you getting sucked into your TV…?” 

“I- honestly don’t know…” 

“Were you that tired last night? You must’ve fallen asleep in front of the TV.” Purpled jokingly said, letting out a laugh. Was it really? It felt like it, but at the same time it didn’t. 

Drista hummed in agreement. “That’d be one interesting dream though. I like the part where you got stuck ‘cause your TV is too small. That’s pretty realistic. If it had been bigger--” She suddenly cut herself off, remembering something. “Oh! That reminds me, our family’s been talking about getting a bigger TV.”

“Oh yeah? Well, flatscreen TVs are definitely popular during these days.” Purpled let out a small smile. “Wanna go check them out on the way back? We’re beefing up our electronics department this month.”

“Definitely! My parents don’t know anything about electronics, and I’ve just gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen! Hwaa-taaaa!” Drista mimicked one of the kung-fu moves, which made Ranboo chuckle as Purpled simply just shook his head. 

“We’ve got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they’d be big enough for you to fit.” Purpled said to Ranboo, playfully nudging him on the shoulder. Ranboo only rolled his eyes, but there was no hidden malice behind it. Though, it seems like they don’t believe him at all. Maybe it's better that way. It’s just a fever dream, probably… 

  
  


…

  
  


“Wow, this is huge! And…holy shit, it's expensive! Who buys something like this?”

Purpled shrugged. “I dunno. Rich folks? Honestly, not many people shop for TVs here. That’s why we don’t have clerks around.”

“Huh, not worth trying then, I guess. Well, at least it looking’s free.” Drista placed her hands back in the pockets of her jacket. The two of them suddenly stepped forward and touched the screen, seeing as though they were trying to see if they could get in. They’re still onto that joke, seriously?

“Nope, can't get in. Figures.” Purpled concluded, after he was finished checking the large device.

Drista let out a light-hearted laugh. “This proves it! It was all just a dream.”

“Besides, flat-screen TVs are so thin, you’d just end up on the other side.” Purpled then turned his head towards her. “So, Drista, What kind of TV are you guys in the market for?”

“They said they wanted one that’s cheap. Got any suggestions?”

Purpled suddenly cleared his throat as he began walking the other way to the smaller TVs, ushering Drista to follow behind him. ‘Well, miss, might I suggest this one over here? Its the newest model, just released this spring.” He exclaimed, putting on a funny accent as well. 

Drista’s eyes almost popped out of its sockets when she saw the price. “Wha-- that’s not cheap at all! There’s way too many zeroes!” 

“I should’ve asked what you meant by ‘cheap’ right off the bat.”

“You got connections, right? Come on, hook me up!”

“You know I can’t do that…” Purpled sighed. “Hey, how about this one over here? It’s a display unit. It’s a little old but…”

Ranboo tuned out of the conversation, letting the two converse with themselves as he stared at the blacked out screen of the large TV sitting in front of him. It was big enough for him to fit through, and he might be able to see what really was on the other side of the barrier. 

He placed his fingers on the screen, and for a moment it was solid, until his whole hand suddenly forced it’s way through. Ranboo’s eyes widened in surprise, as white swirls began illuminating from his hand. It was the same thing that’s happened from last night, and this time, he definitely wasn’t dreaming. 

“Oh yeah, Ranboo, what kind of TV do you--”

“Huh? Is something wrong, Purpled?”

Drista and Purpled are now looking in his direction, and judging from the shock and disbelief from their expressions, they’re definitely seeing the same thing as he is. “I- is his hand…in the fucking TV…?” Purpled spluttered out, mouth slightly agape. 

“Woah…” Drista was amazed and terrified at the same time. “Uhh…is this some kind of new model? Like with- with a new function?”

“Hell no! What kind of TV does that?!”

“Guys, please tell me I’m not dreaming…” Ranboo stated nervously, his lips forming into a thin line as he didn’t tear his gaze away from the screen. 

“You gotta be shitting me right now.” Drista replied, now standing beside him. “Did you really stick your hand through the screen?”

“Oh man, this is for real- That’s some magic trick, dude!” Purpled exclaimed. “So how does it work, huh? What’s the magician’s secret?”

“There’s no magic trick here… It's definitely real.” Ranboo stated calmly, trying to stabilize his breathing as the other two stared at him with astonishment. He stared back at his hand, and he might be able to put more than just his arm. He slowly pulled his arm out, before suddenly stepping forward and sticking his head through the screen. 

“H-hey, don’t do that! What the fuck are you doing?!” 

“Oh my god!” 

“It’s an empty space inside!” Ranboo yelled back after hearing them shout back from the other side, the white light slightly blinding his eyes. 

“Wh- what do you mean ‘inside’?!” 

“What do you mean ‘empty space’?!” 

“It’s- It's actually kinda spacious!” 

“What do you mean ‘spacious’?!”

“I mean, what’s going on?!”

Honestly, that’s all they wanted to know. How was he able to do this kind of thing? Ranboo would’ve laughed in the past if someone told him he’d be able to stick his body through the TV screen, but God or whatever deity is up there really twisted the reality. 

Ranboo then tried to move, but he couldn’t. He struggled for a bit, until he realized whatever force it had was pulling him forward again, but not much stronger like last time. “Um...I think I’m stuck.”

“H- holy shit… I think this is all too much for my bladder…” Purpled blurted out, holding his knees together.

“What the- are you gonna wet your pants?!” Drista looked at him with disbelief. 

“I’ve been holding it in all day! I- I haven’t had the chance to go! Argh-! I can’t hold it anymore..!” Purpled started dashing towards the exit, but then shortly came back a few seconds later. “Shit! Customers are coming this way!”

“What?! But we’ve got a guy half stuck in the TV here! Wh- what are we gonna do?!” 

The three of them started to panic, and then all of the sudden, Drista and Purpled accidentally bumped into Ranboo, which sent them all stumbling backwards and entering the screen. 

“Wh- what-- wait wait- wOOOAAAAHHH-!”

  
  


…

  
  


Ranboo hit the floor with an _‘oof’_ , falling face first into the ground. Purpled and Drista followed, landing on the ground with a thud. He slowly sat up straight, trying to take in their surroundings. They were in a completely different place, a huge stretch from the electronic department story, covered with a thick yellow fog that seems to prevent them from seeing further. 

“Ow… I landed right on my wallet…” Purpled groaned in frustration, rubbing his backside as he regained consciousness. 

Drista looked around in awe. “Man… Where the heck are we? What is this place?”

“I’m asking myself the same thing.” Ranboo slowly got up, dusting off his clothing and looking around, hoping to get a clue as to where they are. “Is it some place inside Junes?”

“Hell no it isn’t! I mean we fell through a TV!” Purpled quaked, helping Drista up after he fixed himself. The three of them looked around, their eyes scanning surveying the area for anything that would give them a hint as to what this place is. 

“So…uh…we’re still alive, right?” Drista nervously looked at the two of them for confirmation. 

“We are. Are you guys okay?” Ranboo asked, concern laced all over his tone of voice. 

“I think my butt’s cracked right now…” Purpled whined. 

Drista frowned. “Of course it is.”

Purpled was about to open his mouth to protest, but then something had caught his eye, making him pause on what he was about to say. “Woah…”

“What now? Did you wet your pants?”

“No, you idiot- look around!”

The dense fog seemed to have cleared a bit, revealing the area around them. They were standing in some sort of stage, with lighting around the set in the ceiling, cameras and equipment placed around the sides and stairs leading towards God knows where. 

“Is this- a studio…?” Drista asked no one whatsoever. “All this fog…or is it smoke? There’s no place like this in Inaba, is there?”

“Hell no. But man, this place is huge.” Purpled pointed out, hearing the harsh howling of the wind despite not feeling anything else. 

“What are we gonna do then?”

Ranboo thought for a moment, placing a hand against his chin. “We should look around.” 

“Huh-? But- Look, we need to get home and--!” Drista cut herself off, frantically looking around, searching for something. “Wait a minute, which way did we come from? I don’t see a way in, or out!”

Ranboo and Purpled also began to search for an exit, only to find out that there’s nothing else other than camera and lighting equipment. “What? That can’t be right! H- how- how are we supposed to get out of here now?!”

‘I don’t know! Don’t ask me!” Drista argued, obviously starting to get even more frustrated about the whole situation. “I can’t- I can’t take this anymore- I wanna go home!”

“Okay, so how?! We don’t even know where we came in from!”   
  


“Guys, calm down. Let’s look for our way out of here.” Ranboo placed a hand on Purpled’s shoulder to stop him from arguing back, trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere. “We just need to figure out where the exit is.”

Purpled narrowed his eyes, but then shortly calmed down after taking a deep breath. “Yeah, you’re right. There has to be something around here…”

“Is there really a way outta here?” Drista’s brows slightly knitted in confusion and fear, most likely terrified of what’s happening right now. Ranboo couldn’t blame her. This was all just so…bizarre. One moment they were checking out TVs in a store and the next thing they knew, they’re in a completely different dimension. 

“We got in, so we must be able to get out somehow.” Ranboo assured her. 

“That’s true, but…”

“If there’s no exit, we’re trapped here. So let’s cross our fingers and look around.” The three of them mutually agreed with each other, and so they began their search for an exit. 

  
  


…

They have been walking for quite some time now, although Ranboo doesn’t know how long they’d been here. The fog wasn’t helping much either, as it makes everything else harder to see. Strange howling noises could be heard, but other than that, it was dead silent. 

“What even is this place? It feels different from where we were before.” Drista muttered, anxiously fidgeting with the hem of her green jacket. 

“It looks like we’re in some kinda building, but… Damn, I can hardly see through this fog.” Purpled responded, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. 

“Are you sure we’re not just getting farther away…?”

“I can’t be sure but, we gotta trust our instinct a little.” Ranboo finds himself agreeing to that statement. Their best bet right now is to see which path leads them to the exit. They continued walking forward, hopefully towards the way out of…whatever this place is.

…

“Hey, is it me or is the fog lighter here?” Purpled suddenly pointed out as he looked around the room they found themselves in. He then pulled out his phone to check if they could call for help, only to turn it down with a frown. “No service. What a surprise.”

“Can you guys slow down a little? It’s hard enough to see where you’re going.” Drista complained, walking up from behind them. As the two of them turned around, their eyes widened in surprise at the scenery in front of them. 

Drista blinked in confusion as she turned around, wondering what they’re staring at behind her. “What the…” She tried to find the right words to say, but no sound came out. 

The room was a bedroom of some sort, with a white sheet bed, a small fridge, a couple of shelves, a chair and a closet. Except the walls on the other side of the room were painted with red and yellow paint, with ripped posters hanging everywhere. There was a wooden door, in which they came in from just now. 

“It’s a dead end! There’s no exit!” Drista concluded, starting to panic a bit more. 

“It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go.” Purpled said in acknowledgement. There was a short pause, until he suddenly pressed his legs together again. “Aargh! I can’t hold it any longer…! My bladder’s gonna explode-!”

“Purpled? What are you doing?!”

“I gotta let it out before I piss my pants!”

“You’re going here?! Oh, you have got to be kidding me- Ranboo, stop him!” 

“What do you want for me to do?” 

“I dunno- just do something!”

I don’t think I can-”

“Turn around! I can’t go if everyone’s watching! It's gonna be your fault if my bladder bursts!” 

“Like I care!”

Ranboo let out a sigh as Purpled zipped his pants back up, turning around with a scowl on his face. Drista only ignored him, glancing at the walls of the room. “Check out all these posters. Their faces are all cut out.” She examined one of the posters, careful not to get paint on her fingers.

Ranboo hummed in agreement. “Someone must’ve really hated this person…”

Purpled approached the chair, glancing up at the ceiling. “Dude, this chair and rope… That kind of arrangement is never good.” He pointed at the rope that was tied into a noose hanging down from the ceiling. “Is this a scarf?”

Drista rubbed the side of her arm, tearing her gaze away from the scene. “Come on… Let’s go back where we came from and look somewhere else for the exit.” She stated, ushering them towards back at the door, in which they followed.

They were just about to leave when Purpled suddenly halted into a stop, glancing at one of the posters on the wall. “Hey, I think I’ve seen this poster before.”

“Who cares?! Let’s go already! I’m sick of this place!” Drista complained, calming down a little after her sudden outburst. “And I’m not feeling so good…”

“Now that you mention it, me too…” Purpled replied, rubbing the side of his head with the palm of his hand. Ranboo also felt how his body was heavier than before. Could it be due to this place’s oppressive atmosphere? 

“Alright, let’s go back. I’m honestly starting to feel sick.”

The three of them nodded in agreement, before shortly leaving the room while trying not to let themselves get swallowed by the fatigueness. 

…

Drista let out a sigh of relief as soon as they made it back where they started. “We finally made it back here… Wait- what’s that?” She looked off into a direction, her eyes catching onto something. 

Purpled and Ranboo followed her gaze, stumbling backwards due to surprise. “Th- there’s something over there!” Purpled exclaimed, trying to look more closely to see what it was. 

There was a shadowed figure in the thick fog, and it seems to be slowly moving towards them. A large round figure wearing a sombrero with a large red scarf wrapped around it’s neck and sandals with socks, appeared in front of them. It’s skin consists of three colors, green, white and red, and there was a drawn smiley face on the middle of it’s body, along with a goatee.

“What is this thing? Is that a weirdly colored cactus…?” Drista asked.

“Wh- what in the world?” Purpled was still trying to comprehend the situation. Things have just gotten weirder by this point. 

“That’s what I wanna know! Who are you kiddos?” 

“It talked!” Drista gasped, stepping back as she got into her fighting stance, ready to beat the shit out of whatever that thing is. “Wh- what are you!? Y- You wanna fight!?”

“Cálmate mi amiga! I mean no harm to you man.” The…thing replied, his voice hoarse and raspy like he hasn't drunk anything in days, as he puts his hands up in surrender. Maybe it would be for the best to ask nicely, since he does seem like he’s not gonna attack them or anything. 

Ranboo hesitantly stepped forward, taking in charge of the conversation. “Okay then… What is this place?” 

“This place is what it is, man. It doesn’t have a name. It’s where me and my girl Mamacita live.”

Purpled blinked in utter confusion. “Who the hell is Mamacita?”

“It’s mi wife, man! The one with the sexy long legs and- actually, she looks like mi amiga right here. Except way hotter.” He replied, pointing a finger at Drista. 

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Anyways-” Ranboo intervened before they got even more sidetracked. “You…live here?”

“You got it right, mi amigo. If I were you, I’d hurry back to the other side. Someone’s been throwing people in here like trash man. It’s giving me a fucking headache.” 

Ranboo’s eyes darkened at that. “Throwing people in? What do you mean by that…?”

“I dunno know who’s doing it man, but I just want for them to think first before they do things like that! Do you know how hard it is to clean up shit here!?” He complained. 

“Hey, what’s your problem? What gives you the right to yell at us like that!?” Drista argued back, glaring directly into the two black dots that served as his eyes. “What are you!? Where are we!? What the heck is going on here?!”

“Woah woah woah- stop yelling at me man!” He yelled back, running towards them and hiding behind Ranboo for refuge, grasping on the taller male’s shoulders and hiding himself behind them. “I already told you man. You should hurry back right now.”

“What it comes down to is, you want us to get out of here, right?” Purpled asked, crossing her arms over his chest. “Well, so do we! We just don’t know how!”

“That’s why he’s saying he’ll let you out.” A new voice piqued their interest, and they all turned towards the owner of the voice. A tall young woman with long blonde hair wearing a lime green hoodie with shorts and fishnet stockings, a white porcelain mask with the same smiley face drawn on it walked towards them, heels tappings against the floor. 

“Mamacita, mi amor! I missed you so much!” 

“I missed you too, MD.”

“What the fuck…?” Purpled stuttered out, unable to find the right words to say. Ranboo turned his head away when the two lovers reunited and shared a very…heated kiss. At least they care enough that they're here to keep it PG-13.

“Are you two done? I wanna go home.” Drista frowned, looking at the two with an unamused expression. MD glanced at them for a moment, before tapping three times against the floor with his foot. There was a puff of smoke, and three large TVs stacked on top of each other appeared in front of them. 

“What the hell?” Purpled’s eyes widened in astonishment. 

“W- Where did those TVs come from!?” Drista stumbled backwards, almost losing her balance. The three of them stood in front of the device, glancing at it with widened eyes and amazement. 

“Alright, now go get outta here! I’m a busy man!”

“What’s going on!? Whoa! Hey, what are you doing!?”

“S-stop pushing!”

…

There was suddenly a happy tune playing and before he knew it, they were back at the store where they last left off. They were back at Junes, unschathed and unharmed. It seems that the man and the woman really kept their promise… Still, what was that all about? Surely it Just as they were recollecting themselves, the speakers suddenly turned on. 

_ “Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try our delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!” _

“Shit, it's already that late?” Purpled exclaimed in disbelief, running a hand through his hair. 

“Looks like we were in there for quite a while…” Drista stated in agreement. 

There was a short brief moment of silence, until Purpled spoke up again. “That’s right! Now I remember where I saw that poster before. Look over there! That’s the poster we saw!” He suddenly said, pointing over into a direction. 

Ranboo and Drista followed his gaze, and they saw a similar poster from before hanging up on the wall. The poster consists of a beautiful woman with long back hair wearing a lavender colored dress. “Hey, you’re right! I couldn’t tell before without the face, but it was Helga Walters. She’s been all over the news lately…”

“Something about her husband having an affair with that announcer who died the other day, right?” Ranboo supplied, hoping he got the information correct. 

“Yeah… So does that mean, that weird room we saw… Could it be related to that Shimizu lady’s death?” Purpled posed a good question. Now that they think about it, there was that strange noose hanging from the ceiling. “Okay, stop, no more! We gotta stop talking about this. I’m gonna wipe what happened today from my brain. I don’t think my poor heart can't take it anymore…”

“I’m feeling a chill too…” Drista frowned, letting out a heavy sigh as her shoulders were no longer tense. “Let’s go home. I wanna lay down and rest.”

…

_ 04 / 14  _ **THURSDAY**

**Evening**

Ranboo entered the house, closing the door behind him. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh, remicincing about what just happened today. He had so many questions yet there doesn’t seem to be any answers for them no matter what kind of explanations he came up with. 

He sluggishly made his way to the living room, where he saw Puffy and Foolish watching the TV and eating dinner. “Hey, welcome home.” Puffy met his gaze, and she gave him a small smile as she ushered him to come sit with them. Ranboo did so, ignoring how his body ached all over from such an adventure. 

“Uhm, I doubt you know this, but…” Puffy suddenly began, looking over to the taller male. “Have you heard anything about a student named Hannah Rose?"

"No, she wasn't at school today."

"Ah, I see…" Puffy looked down to her plate of food, before looking back up to Ranboo again. "To be honest, we got a call from her family. They say she suddenly disappeared. We've got people looking for her but hasn't been found yet…" 

That made Ranboo alarmed. Is that why she wasn't at school today? He wanted to ask more about it, but he could tell Puffy was already stressed enough. "Works just keeps piling up…"  He wanted to help her, but he didn't knew how. Ranboo turned his head back towards the screen, listening in to some news. 

"And now, more on the case still casting a shadow over the foggy town of Inaba. Not long ago, the television announcer Maya Shimizu was found dead in the small town. Up until now, her whereabouts prior to her death had been unknown." The announcer explained. "But the police investigation has found that she had been staying in the region's famous Sky Inn."

The Sky Inn? Isn't that the inn that Lani's family runs? "She had apparently been staying there alone. Perhaps she was taking a vacation to recover from the whole ordeal…?" 

_ "Oh yes, the Sky Inn! Their hot-springs are first rate!" _ A commentator suddenly spoke, smiling wide. _"The manager's teenage daughter also works there, and it's rumored that she'll take over the inn this spring. If that happens, she'll be one of the youngest managers on record! I should book another trip there!"_

Huh, so Lani might take over her family's business this spring. Good for her. "Uh… I see… Moving along, it's time for the weather report. The rain had begun to subside. From now until morning, heavy fog warnings will be in effect in the Inaba region. Visibility will be severely reduced, so please be careful if you plan on driving around the area…" 

The news continued on, and Ranboo decided to tune out of it to gather his thoughts. So just before the announcer was found dead, she had been staying in the Sky Inn, the same inn that Lani's family runs. And it seems the whereabouts of Hanna Rose, the one who discovered the body, are still unknown. Could it all be just a coincidence, or is there some sort of relation to the case?

"Is the ramen ready now?"

"Give it some more time bub."

Ranboo suddenly sneezed, getting a chill down his spine. He better not be getting a cold or something. "Are you sick? You must still be adjusting to the new environment." Puffy said, her voice laced with worry and concern. "Foolish, could you get him some cold medicine?"

"Alright!" Foolish enthusiastically got up from his seat and walked out of the living room, leaving the two of them alone with their thoughts. 

"You should head to bed after you take it."

"Alright…"

After the events that happened, Ranboo was mentally and physically drained. Suppose it's only natural for him to be tired, especially with all the falling into TV screens and talking to weird and strange people… The more he thinks about it, the more he wants to go to that place again.

Something about it just compels him to move forward, but he doesn't know what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited to write the next chapter for this. We're finally getting to the good parts! :D


	5. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW// Someone dies, even if it's not explicitly explained, swearing

_04 / 15_ **FRIDAY**

**Morning**

Ranboo let out a soft yawn as he trudged down the stairs, letting his medium length hair fall down his shoulders instead of tying it up. He saw Puffy getting ready to leave, just in time as he got down the stairs into the living room. 

“Ah, you’re awake.” Puffy turned her gaze towards him, a small gentle smile plastered on her face. “Did you sleep well?”

Truthfully, he still does feel a bit tired, but definitely a lot better than yesterday. “Yeah, I did.”

“That’s good. Well then, I’m off.”

Puffy grabbed her coat and walked out of the door, closing it behind her. “Mom has to go do something. She got a call, so she left.” Foolish stated, sensing Ranboo’s confusion as to why the older woman left so early. Although, he looks a bit worried, or maybe that’s just Ranboo overthinking things. 

…

For some reason, it never stops raining. Ranboo always had to make sure he had an umbrella with him, just in case. He was walking to school as usual, when he suddenly overheard two female students gossiping about something. 

“When I looked, I saw three police cars zooming by.” One of the girls said to the other. “You live by the police station, don’t you? Did you hear anything?”

“I heard some yelling, but nothing more. Total disappointment.”

“Geez, you need to pay more attention to stuff like that. How else are we supposed to get the juicy stories?”

Huh. Something serious must’ve happened. Could it be that they found the culprit for the murder case or did they finally found Hannah? Maybe he could ask Puffy about it when he gets home. Ranboo was about to proceed forward, when he suddenly heard sirens in the distance nearby. There must’ve been another incident… 

Well, it would be best to head to school. He doesn’t want to be late. 

…

_04 / 15_ **FRIDAY**

**Afternoon**

Students were chattering and whispering to each other in the gym where there seems to be some sort of assembly meeting. They were asked to gather in the gym for some sort of announcement, although Ranboo wasn’t quite sure what it might be about. 

“Hey… Did you see it yesterday?”

“Of course not. What, is that rumor for real?”

“I dunno, but it seems like a lot of people have seen it.”

Ranboo tuned out of the conversations, not without wondering what they’re talking about. Drista was checking her phone for something, and she murmured something inaudible to herself before turning towards them.

“I wonder why they’re holding a school assembly all of the sudden.” She said, more likely to herself, until she noticed the downcasted look on Purpled’s face. “Hey, you okay, Purpled? What’s up?”

Purpled seemed to snap back into reality, as it took a moment for him to process that Drista was asking him a question. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He replied, his gaze landing back down to the ground. Ranboo thought that was a bit out of character for him, but before he could ask, the speaker suddenly turned the mic on.

“Everyone, settle down. The school assembly is about to begin.” The history teacher, Ms. Liara, was the one standing in front of the entire school. Students halted their conversations to a stop. “First, the principal has something to say.”

Ms. Liara stepped aside to let the older man take her place, adjusting the mike slightly to match with his height. “I…regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you.” He began, his expression gave a grimace of sadness. “One of our third-year students, Miss Hannah Rose of Class 3… “

There was a short pause. “...has passed away.”

“Passed away…?” Drista exclaimed in disbelief, clasping a hand over her mouth. Purpled bit the bottom of his lip, closing his eyes as he clenched his fists. Ranboo could only let his friends grieve in silence. He wasn’t particularly close to Hannah, since they only met that one time, but he would never wish death upon anyone, and she genuinely seems like a nice person. 

“Ms. Rose was found dead early this morning. The reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police.” The principle continued, drowning out the chatter of the younger teens. “If they ask you for your cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide only the facts.”

Everyone was bewildered and stunned by the news, as numerous complaints and condolences were exchanged between the students. So the police found her but…what happened? Is that why Puffy left early this morning?

“Alright, please quiet down. I have been assured by the faculty that there’s no evidence that bullying was involved in the incident. So mind what you say, not only to the police but to anyone who asks…”

“Found dead…? How could this happen?” Drista asked, to no one whatsoever, disbelief and confusion painted all over her face. Ranboo could only shrug lightly in response, and the two looked over to Purpled, who had been awfully quiet the whole time. They decided to leave him be, not wanting to rub salt on the wound. 

…

The assembly has ended, and they were finally being sent back to their classrooms to continue on with their day. Some were sad, but chose not to dwell on it, others are curious as to what happened. Ranboo didn’t know what to feel, honestly. There was just something there that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

He was walking back to class with Drista trailing behind him, when he suddenly saw two female students standing in the hallway, more likely gossiping about what had happened just now. 

“She died the same way as the announcer did, right? That’s so creepy…”

“Well, last time, it was from an antenna, but this time she was hanging from a telephone pole. It’s gotta be a serial murder case.”

“Someone said that the cause of death was some unknown poison.”

“Unknown? Come on, this isn’t some sci-fi drama. Oh, by the way, did you hear? Someone saw a girl that looked like Hannah on the Midnight Channel thingy. They said she totally looked like she was in pain. Isn’t that crazy?”

“Haha, sounds like someone had a nightmare. The media’s been broadcasting their interviews with her nonstop, so maybe they just had Hannah on their brain.”

The two girls continued chattering as they slowly walked away, leaving Ranboo and Drista alone with their thoughts. “Sheesh, it’s easy to toss around theories when you’re not personally involved…” She narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright. The police will find out what happened.” Ranboo reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder in a comforting way. 

Drista gave a small smile. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” There was a moment of comfortable silence, until it was broken off by a pair of footsteps coming towards them. 

“Hey.” Purpled said from behind them as he then walked towards them with a slight wave of his hand. “Did you guys check out the TV last night?”

“Purpled, not you too.” Drista let out a sigh.

“Just hold on a sec. Something kept bothering me, so I watched it again and…” He nervously bit the bottom of his lip, averting his gaze away. “...I think the girl on the screen was Hannah.”

What does he mean? “There’s no mistaking it. Hannah looked like…she was writhing in pain. And then, she disappeared from the screen.” 

“What?” Ranboo blinked in confusion, as Drista’s eyes widened in shock. He searched for any signs of escapade, only to find out that Purpled was dead serious about it. 

“You heard Hannah’s body was found in a similar situation as that announcer’s right? Well, remember that guy you told us about? How he was all excited that his soulmate was the announcer? Maybe… Just maybe, but…” Purpled explained, crossing his arms over his chest. “Miss Shimizu might’ve been on that Midnight Channel before she died too.”

Drista let out a shaky exhale. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Ranboo pondered about it for a moment, rubbing his chin with his hand. Hannah and Miss Shimizu are apparently both seen on the Midnight Channel the day before they died. Their deaths were also similar to each other. There has to be some sort of meaning behind it. It can’t be just a coincidence.

Something in his head clicked. “Hold on… Are you saying…people who appear on that TV…die?” Ranboo looked over to Purpled for confirmation, hoping that it isn’t what he thinks it is. 

“I can’t say for sure. But something tells me I can’t just dismiss it as a coincidence.” Purpled replied, a solemn expression on his face. “Plus, remember what that weird couple said? How that place was dangerous and we should leave before the fog clears? They also said someone’s been throwing people in there.”

Ranboo hummed in agreement. “Now that I think about it, you’re right… They did say that.” 

Purpled nodded. “And that room with the posters on the wall? It has to have something to do with that announcer’s death. I mean- don’t you think there’s some kind of connection there? Couldn’t that world in the TV have something to do with Hannah and the announcer’s death?”

He then turned his head to Ranboo. “Well…? What do you think?” 

Now that Ranboo thought about it even more, all the facts seem to add up. What possible explanation could there be? “You might be right. If there is a connection, then it's probably a good bet that the two of them went inside that world. And that also explains the posters in the room.”

“Which means if we look around, we might find a place that has something to do with Hannah too.” 

“Purpled, don’t tell me you’ll…” Drista seems to catch on what he meant. 

“Yeah, I’m thinking about going in again. I want to find out for myself.”

“D- don’t do this! You should just let the police handle this and--”

“You think we ran rely on the police!? They haven’t even made any progress on the announcer’s case!” Purpled suddenly snapped, aggravated and seething. “Besides, even if we told them about the world inside the TV, there’s no way they’re gonna believe us!”

He then took a deep breath, calming down a little as he stood up straight, his anger slowly fading into melancholy as his gaze was fixated on the ground. “If I’m completely off-base with this, that’s fine. It's just- I need to know why Hannah had to die like this.”

“Purpled…” Drista muttered as she softened her gaze, her lips forming into a thin line. 

“After what I’ve seen and what I’ve put together, there’s no way I can ignore it now.” Purpled then looked back at Ranboo. “Sorry but…you’re the only person that can help me.”

“I’m gonna go get ready. I’ll be waiting for you at Junes.” 

Purpled then walked away and left without another word before they could say anything else, head bowed down a little and a determined yet dejected look on his face. Ranboo couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him, and he can see Drista felt the same way for him too. 

“I can kinda understand how he feels.” She stated, placing her hands back in the pockets of her jacket. “But we can’t be sure if we’ll be able to get out safely again. What do you think we should do?”

Well, there’s three options to this. Either they go to Purpled and help him out or try to stop him, or let Drista decide for him. Ranboo already knew what he wanted to do. “We should go and help him.”

Drista hesitated for a moment, before letting out a sigh. “Guess I can’t really change your mind, can I?”

“Nope.” Aside from the fact that he wanted to help Purpled out, this could mean that they might be able to find the culprit and turn them in so that no one else would get hurt. Puffy has been working nonstop and Foolish seems down in the dumps about the fact that his mother had to go to work early and come home late at night. 

“Anyways, let’s go to Junes. We can’t leave Purpled alone.” Ranboo stated shortly after, the two coming to a mutual understanding as they left the school, making their way to one of the famous places in this small city. 

…

_04 / 15_ **FRIDAY**

**After School**

“You guys actually came!” Purpled brightened up as he saw the two walk towards him, grinning widely.  
  


“We couldn’t leave you alone.” Drista pursed her lips together. “Are you really sure about this? It’s too dangerous.” 

“I know…but we were able to come back once, right? If we go in from the same location, maybe we’ll meet that couple again.”

“‘Maybe’ isn’t exactly good enough.”

Purpled let out a sigh, frowning slightly. “Look, I can’t just act like everyone else and pretend this has nothing to do with me.” 

“That’s true, but…”

“What about you? Would you just walk away?” He asked, diverting his attention towards the taller male. Ranboo had already made up his mind for helping him out, but there’s also no telling what may happen over there. It seems a bit too risky with Drista coming along.

“I’m gonna help you, but I don’t think we can take Drista along with us.” Ranboo exclaimed, voicing out his concern for his female friend. 

“Yeah. It’ll just be you and me.” Purpled seemed to understand, as he nodded in agreement. He then looked over to the other, smiling a little. “Don’t worry, I’m not going in without a plan. Drista, I’m leaving you in charge of this.”

Drista blinked in confusion. “Huh? What’s that? A rope…?” She asked, as Purpled handed the bundle of rope to her. That’s when they noticed the rope was also wrapped around his waist, tied to one end. 

“We’ll go in with this tied to me, so I need you to hold onto this and wait here.”

“What? Then…this is a lifeline?”  
  


“And here, this is for you.” Purpled exclaimed, holding out the gold club he was holding to Ranboo, who took it without a second thought. This could be useful, just in case anything tries to attack them. “I thought it might be better than going in empty handed.”

Ranboo nodded, smiling back at him. “Alright, let’s go. There’s no use wasting any more time. Drista, whatever you do, don’t let go of that rope.”

“Alright. Got it.” Drista gripped the rope a bit tighter as she watched the two of them enter the TV once more, their bodies slipping through the screen, creating white ripples in their wake. 

…

“Owww…”

They seriously need to work on softer landing, Ranboo made sure to take note of that. 

“Is this…?” Purpled muttered underneath his breath as he stood up, dusting his clothes to get rid of unwanted dust. Ranboo did the same, brushing his hair off his face as he surveyed the area. “Look, this is the same place as last time! So they are connected from place to place!”

“Ayy men, why did you guys come back?” 

The two turned their head towards the same owner of the raspy and hoarse voice, seeing the same figure from before. Ranboo looked closely, and he saw that the green, white and red stripes actually represent the Mexican flag. 

“Oh, I get it- You were the ones behind this!”

“You’re that thing from last time-! Wait, what the hell did you just say!?” Purpled glared at the other, staring into the two black dots on it’s chest. 

“Me and Mamacita can tell someone’s been throwing people in here man. It’s making this world more and more fucked up.” The thing- Ranboo forgot his name -explained, turning back towards them. “This is the second time you guys came here. And I don’t think anyone forced you in, so that seems pretty sus man. You must be the ones throwing the shit in here!”

“Don’t label us like that. We didn’t do anything.” Ranbo stated defensively. 

“What are you talking about, ‘throwing people in’!? If someone was thrown in here and they couldn’t get out, they might die! Who would do such a--” Purpled suddenly cut himself off, holding that line of thought. “Wait a sec… All this talk about throwing someone in here, does he mean Hannah and the announcer? Did that ‘someone’ throw those two in here?”

“That must’ve been the case.” Ranboo said in agreement, after reviewing the facts of what they have known so far. He and Purpled shared a glance, now completely ignoring the figure in front of them. 

“Yeah, I agree. Let’s assume he’s telling the truth. Could it be that someone’s throwing people in here, intending to kill them…?”

“If that’s the case then-”

“What are you guys mumbling about man?” The thing spoke up once more, interrupting Ranboo mid sentence. “I’m right here you fuckers! Why did you come here anyway? It's a one-way door, so you can’t get out once you’re in. Remember when Mamacita had to be the one who let you guys out?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Purpled rolled his eyes. “We don’t need your help. See, this time we have a lifeli--”

He noticed that the rope was cut in half on one end, leaving the only part around his waist untouched. “How did it-” Purpled spluttered out, grumbling curses underneath his breath before turning back to the figure. “H-hey! You better let us out once we’re done investigating, alright?”

“I’m the one who wants to investigate mi amigo! I’ve lived here for long enough, but it's never been this fucking noisy until now man.” He exclaimed, placing his hands on both sides of his hips. “Do you even have proof that you’re not the motherfucker throwing people in here?”

Ranboo nervously rubbed the back of his neck, not really having anything useful on him to use as evidence, asides from the golf club Purpled gave him earlier. “Proof…? Um- we don’t- we don’t exactly have anything…” 

“So it is you guys!”

“For the last time, it’s not us, so we’ve got nothing to prove to you! You better answer our questions. This isn’t like last time, when we came by accident, we’re dead serious!”

“Listen, people have died in our world. Every time the fog appears, a dead body shows up with it.” Ranboo explained, taking in charge of the conversation. “It has to be related to this place. If you know something, please tell us.”

“A dead body? Whenever the fog appears…? I know if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here.” The strange colored cactus, as Drista liked to call it, seems a bit confused. To be honest, Ranboo doesn’t even know what emotion he’s showing due to the permanent smile on his chest. “It’s really dangerous when the fog lifts man. That’s when the Shadows get violent.” 

There was a short moment of silence, before he spoke up again. “Ah, I get it.”

“Huh…? If you get it, then fucking explain it to us already!” Purpled cried out in frustration. If it's foggy on our side, then it isn’t here? Shadows get violent?”

“That’s why I said hurry back man! It's dangerous when that shit happens! Okay, no more questions. I know you fuckers are the ones behind this!”

“I told you and told you, we’re not the ones doing it!” Ranboo was a bit worried where this conversation was going, considering that Purpled looked like he’s close to throwing hands at the older man. “I’ve had it with you… Why the hell won’t you listen to what we’re saying!?”

“I’m just saying man, you guys might be the culprits!” The other put his hands up in surrender. 

Purpled looked at him with disbelief. “What? Man, this thing is driving me nuts… What is this place anyway? It looks like a TV studio. Is something being filmed here?”

Ranboo pondered about it for a moment, before lighting up upon the realization. “Wait, is that weird show being filmed here…?”

“Weird show? Filmed? What the fuck are you talking about man?”

“Uh… I’m asking if someone’s been filming the people that get thrown in here.”

“Eh? I don’t get it man. This world has always been like this. No one has ever done that filming thing here. Only me, Mamacita and the Shadows are here.”

“We don’t know what these shadows things are! Or what you are, for that matter! You keep telling us to prove our innocence, but you’re the most suspicious one here- Maybe you’re the culprit!” Purpled intervened once more. “And what’s with that shit costume? I’d say it’s time you show us your face!”

Before they knew, Purpled suddenly approached the other, grabbing the sides of his head and unzipping it, despite the odd figure protesting for him to stop. It opened with a pop, revealing nothing but darkness and blackness inside which made Purpled stumble backwards in surprise. 

“Wh- what the hell are you!? Why is it empty inside!?”

The body was flailing around, searching for it’s head. Ranboo gently picked up the top half and placed it back on, zipping it back in it’s place.

“Gracias hombre! Mi wife Mamacita will surely offer you some good drugs man.”

“Uh- No thanks. I don’t think I’m legal enough for that.”

“Dude, does anything rattle you?” Purpled asked in pure disbelief. Ranboo simply stared at him with confusion, before diverting their attention back towards the other. 

“I just want to live mi wife peacefully man. But okay, I’ll believe that you aren’t the ones behind this.” The thing exclaimed, before quickly adding, “But I want you to find the motherfucker who did all this. You have to stop him man. Promise me, or else…”

Ranboo tilted his head to the side, asking, “Or else, what…?” 

“I’m not gonna let you guys outta here.”

“You little-!” Purpled was about to protest, but was stopped midway through when the mysterious taking thing spoke up again. 

“This can’t keep going on man! My home here will be a complete mess! And then… and then… I…”

Ranboo and Purpled were caught off guard when it suddenly started crying, bawling his eyes out despite wearing the same expression as he always has. What the fuck? The teens were both unsure how to comfort the other, considering this whole situation is already bizarre as it is. 

“Wh- What’re you crying for all of the sudden!?” Purpled tried to ask, but it just kept on crying even more. “Geez, this thing’s really weirding’ me out…”

Whatever it is, it asked them to find whoever was the one behind all this. Someone from the outside is throwing people into this world. If the culprit isn’t them, which it obviously is true, then it could be anyone else. The thing seems serious about it too, which means he genuinly cares about this place… 

Purpled let out a sigh, turning to Ranboo. “Hey, what should we do?”

Ranboo thought about it for a moment, when suddenly he remembered the words of the mysterious old man who called himself Igor, back at the Velvet Room, as they call it. 

_ “It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.” _

Is this the mystery that he was talking about? If so, then he’s slowly starting to believe what happened that night was real. However, he still didn’t know what that ‘contract’ Igor spoke about. Could finding the culprit and solving this case be part of this promise…? In any case, they can’t exactly leave the TV world on their own, so there’s not much of an option here.

“You’re the only ones I can ask man. Will you promise me?”

Ranboo offered him a small smile, “I promise.”

It brightened up at that. “Muchas gracias!”

“Damn cactus… Practically holding a gun to our heads…” Purpled grumbled underneath his breath. “But, it's true that we came here to figure things out. So far, we’re completely in the dark.”

He then smiled and said, “Look for the culprit huh? Bring it on! You got my word too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending was cut off abruptly since it was getting too long and google docs can't handle it anymore lol. Also, I have the character designs for the first half of our Investigation Team! Credits to [Star_Galaxy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Galaxy/pseuds/Star_Galaxy) for the amazing art! :D
> 
> [Ranboo](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/817187703492837436/817762948691918858/SmartSelect_20210306-091746_ibisPaint_X.jpg)  
> [Purpled](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/817187703492837436/817934399038816276/SmartSelect_20210306-195705_ibisPaint_X.jpg)  
> [Drista](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/817187703492837436/817934435541975090/SmartSelect_20210306-195636_ibisPaint_X.jpg)  
> [Lani](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/817187703492837436/817934450033557535/SmartSelect_20210306-203844_ibisPaint_X.jpg)


End file.
